§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what information he has collated on the proportion of the population in each 10-year age band that has sufficient(a) access to equipment and (b) training to be able to vote from home this year. [38042]
§ Dr. WhiteheadWe have given approval to 31 local authorities to run electoral modernisation pilot schemes in this May's local and mayoral elections. We have been careful to ensure that all sectors of the electorate—young and old, and those with physical disabilities including the visually impaired—are not disadvantaged by the new arrangements. Where authorities pilot internet or other online voting techniques, these will be run alongside traditional methods of voting so that a person can choose to vote at the polling station or by postal vote on demand.
We will be asking authorities piloting all postal ballots to provide for those visually impaired electors who wish to use the voting device allowing them to vote in secret. Pilot authorities are working closely with disability groups and others in the run-up to the elections, and will provide information and advice on how the different ways of 1374W voting work. Following these elections, the Electoral Commission will carry out an extensive evaluation of the pilot programme which will provide more information on specific voting patterns and how we go about establishing modern voting methods.