Even in countries that have taken steps to align their law with the CRPD, like Ghana, there is still much work to be done. In 2012, the Ghanaian government passed a Mental Health Act that protects the civil and political rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities. While the new law now allows residents of psychiatric hospitals to vote for the President, voter registration policies impede some residents from voting for regional candidates, such as members of Parliament, if registered in a different constituency than where the hospital is located. Good Practice In Guatemala, the EMB recruited volunteers with Down syndrome to package election materials. The EMB featured these volunteers in promotional materials and public service announcements, thereby sensitizing the general public to the abilities of persons with disabilities. Section 2 that States parties have undertaken under Articles 2, 12 and 29 of the Convention, and should be eliminated as a matter of priority from national legislation and practices.” 34 The election law may also impact policies regarding voting with an assistant. In some cases, voters with disabilities might request assistance when voting. The choice of assistant can impact the secrecy and security of the vote, as an assistant could intimidate or manipulate the voter. To mitigate this risk, DPOs participating in the CRPD drafting process negotiated a requirement that voters with disabilities be allowed “assistance in voting by a person of their own choice” in Article 29 of the CRPD. However, many States violate this directive and only allow poll workers to provide assistance in voting. The election law can also stipulate allowable stop-gap measures for inaccessible polling stations when it is not possible to make all polling stations accessible in time for the election. While the end goal should be to make all polling stations accessible, if a polling station is not yet accessible, procedures such as advance voting and mobile ballot boxes can provide greater access. Both of these provisions sometimes raise fraud and/or secrecy concerns, so allowing a separate voting booth on the ground floor can help alleviate these concerns. While such provisions may be helpful as short-term or transitional measures, they should not be used as a permanent alternative to making all polling centers accessible. Some election laws stipulate that only people who can speak in the native language of the country can run for office. This type of provision could exclude candidates who are deaf and do not use an oral language. To mitigate barriers caused by discriminatory election laws, international donors and implementing organizations can support the review of election laws, provide regional examples and assist in drafting more inclusive laws. For example, in Egypt, IFES conducted an election law review and provided comments to the EMB on ways that the law restricted the rights of voters with disabilities. A group of local organizations then led an awareness campaign resulting in the Egyptian Human Rights Council committing to establish a disability committee, providing an opportunity to secure the rights of persons with disabilities. Inclusive election laws should have the following characteristics:  Universal suffrage, including persons under guardianship  No medical or language requirements for candidates or voters  Flexibility to find creative solutions to inaccessible polling locations, with the end goal of permanent accessibility  Right to vote in secret, and, if desired, to be assisted by a person of the voter’s choice  Provision of reasonable accommodations, such as tactile ballot guides 34 Ibid. Equal Access: How to Include Persons with Disabilities in Elections and Political Processes 41