You helped change voting guidance. Now help us check it's working.
- @cv_cev
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Voting Accessibility Audit for the 2026 local elections will open 7th May - and anyone can take part, even if you have a postal vote.
Last time, you told us what was happening at polling stations. Over 70% of Clinically Vulnerable voters said they no longer felt able to vote in person at all. Nearly half were asked to remove their mask indoors. Some were ID-checked while masked - although that was against the rules. A small number were turned away entirely.
You helped us to record it. You shared it. And it worked!
Your evidence, combined with CVF's advocacy, directly led to the Electoral Commission updating its national guidance for the first time to explicitly recognise Clinically Vulnerable voters. For the May 2026 elections, polling stations have guidance that they should:
Apply the "see a mask, wear a mask" principle - staff should put a mask on when assisting a masked voter
Ensure good ventilation through open doors and windows, or HEPA air filters where they can't be opened
Offer ID checks outside for voters who do not want to lower their mask indoors
That is a genuinely significant win. But guidance on paper is only as good as its implementation on the ground. Which brings us to now.
The 2026 audit: did the guidance actually reach the polling stations?
Our second Voting Accessibility Audit will open on the day of the local elections and closes at midnight on Saturday 6th June.
This audit has one central question: has it changed?
We need enough data points - from enough different polling stations, across enough of the country - to give a clear, evidenced answer. That means we need you.
What you need to do — it's simpler than you think
You don't need to spend long at the polling station. Here's what's useful:
If you have a CO₂ monitor, bring it. Take a reading inside the building and note the number. The reading needs to be ideally at head height and over 50cm away from your face. It takes about 30 seconds to settle. But it will give us hard data to consider.
Count open doors and windows. Are the front doors propped open? Are any windows open? Is there an air filter running? You don't need to ask anyone - just observe and note it down.
If you wear a mask, tell us what happened. Were you asked to remove it? Did staff offer to check your ID outside? Did they mask up when they came to help you? Share a masked selfie on social media using #MyMaskMyVote and we will share it!
That's it. The survey will take around five minutes to complete and is fully anonymous.
Everyone can help!
You don't need to vote in person to contribute. If you're delivering a postal vote, dropping in on behalf of someone else, or simply passing by, you can observe the outside of the polling station - are doors and windows open? - for us, it is still useful data.
You also don't need to be Clinically Vulnerable yourself. If you're an ally, a carer, a family member or a supporter of safe accessible voting, we need all the help we can get. The more stations we cover, the stronger the picture.
Why this matters beyond 7th May
The Electoral Commission will receive our findings. So will other people like parliamentarians, and the media. Evidence from this audit will shape accessibility.
The first audit changed national guidance. This one will tell us how effective the change has been - and what work still needs to be done.
Take part
The audit opens on 7th May 2026 elections and closes midnight Saturday 6th June 2026.
Share this post with anyone voting on 7th May, anyone who will deliver a postal vote, or anyone who wants to help make public spaces safer and more accessible for Clinically Vulnerable people.
Thank you!