Accessibility in elections is not optional — it’s a legal and moral imperative.

The Elections Act 2022 brought accessibility to the forefront, introducing additional duties for Returning Officers to ensure all voters, regardless of need, can cast their ballot independently and in secret. This builds on the longstanding framework of the Equality Act 2010, which mandates public services to anticipate and remove barriers for disabled people. Both the Electoral Commission and the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) consistently remind councils that accessibility isn’t an add-on; it must be embedded into every election process.

For councils limited with paper-based election day delivery, and legacy processes, this is an additional ask for Polling Staff who are already under pressure on election day.

This is where Modern Polling from Modern Democracy becomes a catalyst for real change.

At a recent Modern Democracy webinar, Becci Light, Electoral Services Manager at Cardiff Council, shared how Modern Polling has transformed their elections. She highlighted that by moving to a digital solution, Cardiff freed up Presiding Officers and Polling Clerks, enabling them to better assist voters — especially those needing additional support. The technology reduced the administrative burden, allowing staff to focus on accessibility, queue management, and customer service.

Modern Polling is the UK’s #1 electronic polling platform, dedicated entirely to election day delivery. The process driven app enables Polling Clerks and Polling Officers to tackle election day with confidence knowing that the app guarantees accuracy for voter check-in and verification. While the management portal provides EM’s and RO’s real time analytics across all polling stations and guaranteed 100% accurate, automated close of poll reports.

“It was that leap forward to say, well, actually we can go forward in a digital format, but without excluding and keeping accessibility at its best really.”

Becci Light, Cardiff Council

Modern Democracy is dedicated to delivering elections without compromise, ensuring every vote counts, every voice is heard, and trust in democracy remains absolute.

That’s why Modern Polling is built with the power to enable elections teams to deliver accessible polls at its core. The intuitive, process driven app, and the real-time oversight of the management portal empowers Returning Officers, Election Managers, and polling station staff to deliver elections with confidence. Election teams partnered with Modern Polling are free to focus on supporting the voters on election day and upholding the integrity of the democratic process for everyone.

🎥 Watch 'The Future is Digital: How Cardiff is setting the standard for modern elections' with Becci Light, Election Services Manager at Cardiff City Council.