Election Commission and Communications Commission Must Substantially Guarantee the Rights to Vote for Persons with Disabilities
- NHRCK Recommends to Abolish Page Limits on Election Bulletins and Expand Sign Language Interpretation to Substantially Guarantee the Right to Vote -
On January 30, 2026, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho, hereinafter "NHRCK") recommended that the Chairperson of the National Election Commission and the Chairperson of the Korea Media and Communications Commission improve the current system to substantially guarantee the right to vote for persons with disabilities.
Background of the Case
A civil society organization filed a complaint with the NHRCK, stating that during the 20th Presidential Election on March 9, 2022, and the 8th Nationwide Local Elections on June 1 of the same year, many persons with disabilities were not provided with reasonable accommodations in exercising their right to vote. The complainant urged the Chairperson of the National Election Commission (hereinafter "the respondent") to promote institutional improvements, including providing braille electoral bulletins, developing easy-to-understand ballots and providing voting assistance for persons with developmental disabilities, expanding sign language interpretation service, and enhancing accessibility and convenience at polling stations for those with limited mobility.
Respondents' Response
In response, the respondent stated that: braille electoral bulletins are part of election campaigning, and therefore the respondent cannot arbitrarily intervene to maintain fairness and neutrality; regarding easy-to-understand ballots, there are considerations such as difficulties in election administration and potential advantages or disadvantages for specific candidates; and according to Supreme Court precedents, it is difficult to allow voting assistance unless a voter has a visual or physical disability that prevents them from marking the ballot; polling stations are temporarily established within local community facilities, and since factors such as public familiarity with the building and transportation convenience must be comprehensively considered, it is not easy to select locations that meet all accessibility requirements for persons with disabilities.
Meanwhile, regarding the expansion of sign language interpretation, the Korea Media and Communications Commission stated that it has distributed the "Guidelines for Providing Broadcast Programs for Persons with Disabilities" to be used in production. They also mentioned that they are encouraging specific placements, sizes, and layouts of sign language windows for programs of high national interest to improve accessibility for persons with visual or hearing disabilities.
Commission Findings and Recommendations
The Plenary Committee of the NHRCK rejected the complaint pursuant to Article 30, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 1 of the National Human Rights Commission Act, as the matter pertains to legislation by the National Assembly. However, after a multifaceted review of actual cases and international precedents, the Committee determined that there is a need to substantially guarantee the right to vote for persons with disabilities and issued the following policy recommendations.
To the Chairperson of the National Election Commission:
Establish a comprehensive implementation plan to ensure that printed and braille electoral bulletins contain identical content, and promote the amendment of Article 65, Paragraph 4 of the Public Official Election Act to remove page limits on braille electoral bulletins.
Establish a comprehensive implementation plan so that voters with developmental disabilities can receive easy-to-understand ballots, electoral bulletins, and voting guides; ensure that voters with developmental disabilities can receive voting assistance if they face challenges in marking the ballot; and promote the amendment of Article 157, Paragraph 6 of the Public Official Election Act to include persons with mental disabilities in the category of "voters unable to mark the ballot themselves due to disability."
Actively review measures to expand sign language broadcasts, featuring at least two Korean Sign Language interpreters, across all public broadcasting services, so that dialogue between two or more speakers in talks and policy debates hosted by the Election Broadcasting Debate Commission can be fully conveyed to persons with hearing disabilities.
Devise plans to install all polling stations, including early voting sites, on the first floor or in locations with accessibility support such as elevators; deploy staff dedicated to assist persons with disabilities at each station; and prepare detailed guidelines to ensure the provision of facilities such as ramps and accessible restrooms, while monitoring compliance during every public election.
To the Chairperson of the Korea Media and Communications Commission:
The NHRCK recommended amending the "Guidelines for Providing Broadcast Programs for Persons with Disabilities" to include the expansion of sign language broadcasts, featuring at least two sign language interpreters, across all public broadcasting services, ensuring that dialogue between multiple speakers in election broadcasts is fully conveyed to persons with hearing disabilities.
The provision of reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities during the electoral process has a significant impact on guaranteeing their right to vote. Through these policy recommendations, the NHRCK looks forward to institutional improvements that will substantially guarantee the right to vote for persons with disabilities.
