.

Welcome to No: 40 of THE PDCN BULLETIN. This Bulletin goes out to PDCN members and others who wish to receive it regularly by email. Internet links are included throughout the bulletin for further reading. Please forward this bulletin to anyone you know would welcome it.

1. Local council elections 2008 | Saturday 13 September

The Physical Disability Council of NSW (PDCN) is keen to find out from people with a physical disability how they get on at the local government elections on Saturday September 13, 2008.

Lachlan, your media officer, has reviewed all of the information provided about polling venues for these elections on your behalf and notes that only some polling places are identified as being accessible or partially accessible. Voting is a democratic right and compulsory for all enrolled citizens in NSW. Given there is no absentee voting on this election day, you are required to vote in your council area or ward. There is all the more reason to be sure you have an accessible polling place for you.

You don't know your council area and/or ward? Check your residential enrolment for this election.

After you vote (or attempt to vote!) please visit our website and participate in our very short survey on your experiences. Whatever experiences or outcome, we want to hear from you! This survey will be open a full week after the polling day (until Saturday 20 September) to give you time to respond.

While the Electoral Officers' Manual now states that an electoral officer can mark the ballot paper under direction of any person with a disability (and it is claimed that all of this will be done in confidential circumstances), this is not an equal solution to overcome the inaccessible polling places. We need to know your polling experience on Saturday 13 September to be able to advocate for improved accessible polling for all.

Local Government elections on Saturday the 13th SeptemberClick here to complete your short survey about Saturday 13 September local government elections

InformationNSW Electoral Commission website

We are committed to protecting your privacy and commit ourselves to conforming to the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Bill 2000, which came into effect in December 2001 and the National Privacy Principles issued by the Australian Privacy Commissioner.

This newsletter is distributed by email. You have provided us with an email address. This email address will be used only for the purpose for which you have provided it.

This Bulletin contains links to websites. We cannot be held responsible for the privacy practices (or lack thereof) or the content of such websites.