Simplifying Partisan Political Opinions: Voting Aids for Individuals with Cognitive Disabilities

Research on the political competence of persons with cognitive disabilities remains sparse, often outdated, and lacking in systematic analysis. Importantly, no empirical study has ever conclusively demonstrated their alleged political incompetence. Yet, the presumption of incompetence - never empirically established - has historically justified, and continues to justify, restrictions on voting rights. This paper addresses two major gaps in the literature. First, it provides an evidence-based assessment of the political competence of individuals with cognitive disabilities in the context of Swiss direct democracy. Second, it examines how linguistically simplified political materials affect their political competence. These objectives are closely intertwined: the ability to express political competence, and ultimately to make autonomous political decisions, depends on the broader context in which citizens operate. Among the external conditions shaping political autonomy, access to accessible information plays a decisive role. This issue is especially pressing for citizens with cognitive disabilities. The originality of this paper lies in both its empirical analysis of the political capabilities of persons with cognitive disabilities and its participatory design: political representatives collaborated in producing simplified short videos presenting their political views, while persons with cognitive disabilities verified the accessibility of these materials. By reassessing the political competence of persons with cognitive disabilities, this paper reopens broader debates on the scope of the electorate, the conditions of access to it, and the minimal competencies - if any - that should be required of citizens.