Special voting arrangements (SVAs) are designed to expand voting opportunities to individuals who are otherwise not able to vote. Safeguards that protect the equality, secrecy and transparency of the vote are vital for successful implementation of SVAs. Over the past few decades, countries across Europe have been increasingly adopting SVAs—particularly postal, early and mobile forms of voting. The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated their use throughout the year 2020.

International IDEA and the Association of European Election Officials (ACEEEO) convened a series of online webinars in October and November 2020 on SVAs. This report summarizes key insights and reflections from each of the three webinars.