Today, an informational meeting for blind voters, organized in cooperation with the Union of the Blinds of Georgia and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), was held at the Central Election Commission (CEC). With this meeting, the nationwide cycle of informational sessions held for blind voters has concluded. 

Giorgi Kalandarishvili, Chair of the CEC opened the meeting. According to the Chair of the CEC, the election administration is focused on creating equal conditions and an inclusive election environment for all voters. According to Giorgi Kalandarishvili, it is essential that persons with disabilities (PWDs) have the opportunity to independently participate in elections conducted using modern electoral technologies.

The meeting at the Central Election Commission was attended by Katherine Ellena, Vice President of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), along with Renata Levovski, IFES Country Director for Georgia, and Miranda Tkabladze, Senior Manager of Gender/Inclusion at the organization.

They delivered welcome speeches to the participants, highlighting the significance of the collaborative efforts with the election administration to create an inclusive electoral environment.  According to them, creating equal conditions for voters with disabilities is particularly significant. 

On the other hand, Sophio Sitchinava, head of the CEC's working group on disability issues, provided participants with detailed information on how individuals with disabilities can independently participate in the elections. The participants also had the opportunity to test the operation of the verification and vote-counting devices.

Director of CEC Training Centre Natia Zaalishvili and Central Election Commission member Dimitri Javakhadze also attended the meeting held at CEC.

It is worth noting that informational meetings with blind individuals were held in stages, in line with the 2024 action plan of the election administration, across several cities, namely Batumi, Kutaisi, Gori, Akhaltsikhe, and Tbilisi. As part of the meetings, around 300 blind individuals received information on electoral processes and electronic technologies. An easy-to-read election guide was also distributed, along with a QR code reader that provides accessible information in audio format for the blind and in sign language for the deaf.