Legal Measures in Accessing the Electoral Rights of People with Disabilities

Abstract

               The Election is an important process of the way of governance under liberal democracy that manifests the common will of the people. People with disabilities are important population of a country and have voices as citizens of the country. People with disabilities, as citizens of the country, should be protected with the same human dignity as ordinary people and have equal access to the right to vote. Legal measures are an important tool for people with disabilities to access the electoral process. The laws relating to the election of the disability law are: the Promotion and Development of the Quality of Life of Persons with Disabilities Act, B.E. 2007 and the Organic Act on the Election of Members of the House of Representatives, B.E. 2018. The current laws lack measures that allow people with disabilities to access the electoral process.

               The purpose of this study is to study the electoral laws of persons with disabilities in Thailand, United States and Australia. This study includes analyzing the legal measures to access the electoral process for people with disabilities and demonstrating measures that are appropriate for people with disabilities from pre-election rights, election day access right after election rights as well as finding political opportunities for people with disabilities. The Organic Act on the Election of Members of the House of Representatives, B.E. 2018 does not provide a process for accessing the right to vote. Therefore, it is appropriate to set guidelines for people with disabilities so that they would have access to the electoral process more conveniently and to create equality with among people.