Elections Commission (EC) has decided to reverse its change to the voting rights of people with special needs, following growing public criticism.

EC had decided to only allow their officials at polling stations to help people with special needs to cast their vote.

At a press conference on Sunday, EC President Ahmed Shareef acknowledged the concerns regarding the change, including from the blind association, and said that they will now allow special needs people to cast their vote with the help of whoever they choose, same as before.

In EC’s publicised policy on voting in September’s presidential election, people with special needs are allowed to let whoever they choose to mark their ballot paper and place it in the ballot box upon the approval of the official handling the ballot box. The officials at the polling station will also have to write down the name, address, and the national ID card number of the helper.

EC’s policy also specified that only people who are blind, or blind enough that they cannot see the content of the ballot paper, or people who are physically unable to mark and cast their vote, will be able to use the help of someone else.