– It is better to vote at the workplace than in other premises. There are nice people here who can help. It is safer and easier, says Marius Andreassen (49). He works at Unik business in Drammen. A center for people with disabilities. For Andreassen, it was good to use the right to vote in the workplace. He will vote again in the autumn. At Unique. – Elderly care is important. I think the food should be better in old people’s homes. That is why it is important to vote. – Did you get help when you voted here? – Yes, I got some help, admits Andreassen. Marius Andreassen has fulfilled his civic duty. Photo: Henning Rønhovde / news Pupils wrote a report to the municipality and the Storting A simple choice is not always easy for everyone. Some have reading difficulties. Others don’t quite know how to vote. Drammen municipality has done something about that. Since 2021, users like Marius Andreassen have voted for job and activity centres: A safe and familiar place. Here you can take your time. You can bring your assistant into the voting booth. Thanks to two school pupils, it will be even easier. – Those who use the municipality’s services the most are also the ones who struggle the most with using the right to vote. It is important to help them so that they can vote, say Taleah Suhl and Inger-Marie Hansen. Taleah Suhl (left) and Inger-Marie A. Hansen deliver a report and proposal to the mayor of Drammen, Monica Myrvold Berg. Photo: Christian Bjørøen Hvatum Commissioned by Drammen municipality, the two 19-year-olds at Drammen upper secondary school have written a report. It is about participation in elections among people with disabilities. Most of them would like to vote, but do not have the opportunity. – Many struggle to read the ballot papers and understand the party programme, say Hansen and Suhl. Surveys show that this group of people has a low and random turnout: Some do not make it to the polling station themselves. Others find it scary to stand alone behind the curtain and not know how to vote. Many cannot read or write. Measures to increase voter turnout Students Inger Marie Hansen and Taleah Suhl came up with these measures to increase voter turnout among people with cognitive impairment. Advance voting in VTA companies (permanent organized work). Organized transport to the polling station. Electoral officials with expertise in cognitive impairment. Information letter for people with cognitive impairment and their relatives. Adapted information about the political parties. Adapted information about political participation. The logo of the political party on the ballot paper. The report was given to the politicians in Drammen. Some of the proposals have been used by the municipality: Party logo instead of text on the voting boards. This should make it easier for users to see the difference. From Drammen to Norway Øystein Kristoffersen is the election officer in Drammen municipality. He believes it is a challenge for several groups of voters to find their way around the polling station. – The right to vote is universal, he says. – Everyone who has the right to vote has the right to vote. Then it is up to the individual to use their right. Something absolutely everyone should do, says Øystein Kristoffersen. Photo: Henning Rønhovde / news The report from the students has been delivered to the parliamentary committee working on the new electoral law. Kristoffersen hopes that the proposals will be listened to. He wants a statutory advance voting offer at all job and day centers in Norway. – In line with, for example, nursing homes, prisons and hospitals. Great increase in voter turnout It helps to make it easier. When Unik betrieb arranged for elections at the town hall in 2019, few users voted. Two years later, they were allowed to vote in the workplace. – Then we increased from three people to almost 40, we are very happy with that. Next time we hope for 100! says department manager Solveig Risan Taranger. Solveig Risan Taranger at Unique company. Photo: Henning Rønhovde / news
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– It’s easier and safer – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
