| چکیده |
Summary: All adult Europeans, including those with disabilities, have the right to vote in national and European Parliament elections. This right is based upon many binding legal documents, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Unfortunately, across the EU, many persons with disabilities cannot exercise their full voting rights. A report by European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) rapporteur Krzysztof Pater estimates that around 800 000 EU citizens in 16 EU countries are legally deprived by national rules of their right to vote in elections to the European Parliament because of their disabilities or mental health problems. These and millions of other citizens are not able to vote for a number of reasons. For example, many persons with disabilities are assigned a polling station based on their place of residence that cannot accommodate their needs. Given the option, many would change their polling station. However, in 12 EU countries, national legislation does not allow voters to change their polling station without changing their place of residence.
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