A right that comes with conditions
The figures are compelling and speak of an uncomfortable reality. In the last judicial elections, almost 7 out of every 10 people with disabilities who went to vote needed help to do so. The National Electoral Institute (INE) confirms it: 69% required support, mainly to read the ballots and mark their preference.
We are talking about more than 134 thousand people. A participation that, although brave, barely touched 1% of the total register. The reason? The barriers are many and very real.
The majority received help from trusted companions; However, in some cases it was the polling station officials themselves who provided assistance.
The crude photograph of exclusion
The report paints a diverse picture. The majority of these voters were women (54%). Regarding the type of condition, the motor condition predominated, followed by the sensory and cognitive conditions. But they all shared the same obstacle: lack of autonomy.
Visual difficulties, the complexity of the ballots and physical accessibility problems at the voting sites were the big obstacles. The system, as designed, forces them to depend on others for an act that should be secret and personal.
There is no conspiracy here, just incompetence disguised as normality. It’s about the old habit of building a world for an imaginary majority, leaving out those who don’t fit the mold.
The INE recognizes this—late, but it does—and promises improvements: clearer materials, better training and technological tools. They are necessary promises. Because in politics, as in theater, what matters is not the speech but the final act. And here, the act failed for tens of thousands.
True democracy is not measured by who wins, but by who can participate on equal terms. Today, that equality is just a pending script.
