Ahead of the local self-government elections to be held on 25 October 2026, the Azat Qve observation mission reviewed the accessibility of all 29 polling stations in Stepanavan community. The review is based on data published by the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Armenia.
The review found that in most polling stations, conditions for independent voting are not ensured for voters with disabilities, voters with mobility (musculoskeletal) impairments, and voters with visual impairments.
Key findings:
- Only 9 of the 29 polling stations have a fully accessible entrance; 1 is partially accessible, and 19 are not accessible.
- At 21 polling stations, the entrance has steps, and only 2 of them have a handrail.
- At 6 polling stations (25/2, 25/6, 25/13, 25/18, 25/27, 25/29), there is no ramp, and according to the CEC assessment, one cannot be built.
- At 5 of the 9 buildings that have a ramp with an accessible slope, the entrance was nevertheless assessed as not accessible.
- At 8 polling stations, the entrance doors are narrower than 80 cm (the narrowest, in Koghes, is 50 cm). The entrance doors of 11 polling stations do not meet the minimum width of 90 cm set out in CEC Decision No. 17-N of 24 March 2022.
- At 3 polling stations, the voting room is on the second floor.
- None of the polling stations has a designated parking space for persons with disabilities, a sign in Braille, or a toilet accessible to wheelchair users.
Under Article 17(5) of the Electoral Code of Armenia, local self-government bodies are required to take the necessary measures at polling stations to ensure that voters with disabilities, including voters with mobility and visual impairments, can exercise their right to vote.
The Azat Qve observation mission concludes that at a significant share of polling stations in Stepanavan community, the physical conditions for independent voting by persons with disabilities and persons with mobility impairments are not sufficiently ensured. On election day, the mission’s observers will record the actual accessibility of polling stations, and the findings will be included in the mission’s subsequent publications.
The full statement (in Armenian), with station-by-station data, the legal framework, and selected cases, is available for download below:
