Mastering the meaning of a ballot at a village for adults with disabilities

Residents of the Perach Community Village for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Rosh Ha'ayin have been practicing for this week's national election at an accessible on-site voting station. Director Yafit Bargig said 25 to 30 of the 208 residents will vote independently on Tuesday, with family members prohibited from entering the booth this year.

Residents of the Perach Community Village for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in central Rosh Ha'ayin have been practicing for this week's national election at an accessible on-site voting station. About half of the village's 208 residents aged 21 and above have been learning about the right to vote and the political system and parties. According to Yafit Bargig, who directs the 110-dunam (27-acre) closed campus, 25 to 30 residents will be able to choose a party independently on Tuesday and carry out the necessary physical tasks. The Perach Community Village, funded by the Welfare Ministry, is operated by the Perach special education network. The village combines residential care with medical support and treatment, occupational and creative workshops, and sporting facilities. The right to vote is universal for all Israeli citizens aged 18 and older, even if they have a disability. Bargig said national service volunteers had integrated the election into a broader campaign about the meaning of choice as it applies to actions as basic as choosing what to wear, what to eat from the menu, or what to do during the day. She explained that residents were shown the faces of each party's representatives and taught about the prime minister's role, elections, mandates, and how many people will be elected. Some higher-functioning residents were more aware of developments in the wider world than others, Bargig continued, noting that they know there was a war or who Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is, but not in the way that others would understand it. Bargig said it was important, if complex, for the staff to help residents exercise their electoral rights, stressing that they are careful to educate and not direct them. She noted that in a previous election, one resident put several parties' tickets into the same envelope, and his vote was probably disqualified, but he felt he had exercised his right. In previous years, family members and guardians were allowed into the voting booth to help, but this will be prohibited on Tuesday. Residents will enter the booth alone, and if they need physical help, a campus staff member or election official may assist.