Elections to be held in 2019. The General Directorate of Services for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly (EYHGM) or any other public authority in Turkey has not taken any steps regarding the YSK’s decision. The Law on Elections allows for persons with visual disabilities and persons who are unable to use both their hands, to vote through the assistance of another person during the voting process. However, voting with a companion is against the principle of secret ballot, which is a universal rule. The Barrier Free Access Association (Engelsiz Erişim Derneği) has made an application to the YSK, requesting YSK to print a template ballot paper and provide it in each ballot box, so that persons with visual disabilities can vote on their own without the need for assistance. The YSK refused the application without providing any justification with the decision No:1103 on 12th December 2018. Article 90 of the Constitution, which is frequently emphasized in a positive manner in the State Report of Turkey, is not taken into account by the YSK. Applications made to the YSK on grounds of the provisions of the Convention are rejected. As a rule, voters cast their votes in ballot boxes in the polling stations which are closest to where they reside. With the amendment of the law in 2018, Governors and the Presidents of the Provincial Election Boards were authorized to request the transfer of ballot boxes for security reasons. The new legal amendments and regulations lack any provisions on which measures are to be taken regarding voters with disabilities who are to cast their votes in these ballot boxes moved for security reasons. In the 2018 General Elections, according to the official statement, the ballot boxes concerning 144,000 registered voters, in 19 provinces, were moved for security reasons. The President of the YSK, Mr. Sadi Güven, stated in the decision to move ballot boxes, walking distance is the fundamental criterion. Mr. Güven stated “We took 5 kilometers as the basis, for the maximum walking distance for voters”. Contrary to this official statement, many instances where ballot boxes have been moved further than 5 kilometers have been featured in the news. For example, in the Ogul village in the province of Hakkari, the ballot boxes have been moved to another residential area which is 30 kilometers away, as featured in the news outlets. Using walking distance as a criterion means that voters with disabilities are dismissed from the outset. Pursuant to the legislation concerning elections, electoral rolls are formed through the address registration system. People who are homeless (or who live on the street or in tents) cannot register and therefore, cannot vote. This rule also prevents women who live in shelters, for protection from the violence they have experienced, from exercising their right to vote. 22