October 2, 2025|
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|2 months agoSwitzerland Pioneers Voting Access for Visually Impaired
Zurich launches groundbreaking voting template system allowing blind and visually impaired citizens to vote independently, with nationwide rollout planned for 2026
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Generated IllustrationKey Takeaways
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- The canton of Zurich is introducing a groundbreaking voting template system, known as 'sciablona', to enable blind and visually impaired citizens to vote independently and secretly.
- A first pilot test of the 'sciablona' system will be conducted in Zurich during the federal vote on November 30, 2025.
- A nationwide rollout of the voting template is planned for the second half of 2026, based on the experience gathered from the Zurich pilot.
- The voting template is a reusable cardboard stencil with Braille and large print, featuring pre-punched holes that guide the user to mark 'Yes' or 'No'.
- The legal basis for the introduction of the voting mask is provided by the revision of the Federal Act on Political Rights (PIL).
By The Numbers
Second half of 2026
Planned nationwide introduction of the voting template
November 30, 2025
Date of the first pilot test in Zurich
They Said
"In Switzerland blind and visually impaired people will be able to vote independently, without the support of another person, thanks to the use of a voting mask."