Guidance around voting and disabled people

Lynne James

Commissioning and Contract Manager

15th January 2015

Voter registration

• To be able to vote you need to be on the electoral register.

• The law has recently changed so that everybody has to register to vote individually. Previously the head of the household or the landlord could put people’s names on the form .

• You can register on-line which maybe helpful for disabled people as you do not have to sign anything- just provide your date of birth and National Insurance Number. ww.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Help available -Section 1

• Support agencies have a duty to help people to register to vote.

• The Mental Capacity Act does NOT allow someone else to make a vote on a person’s behalf but once you are registered to vote you are entitled to vote even if you need help or support to do so.

Help available -continued

• If you need help to mark your ballot papers you can ask the person in charge at the polling station who is called the ‘Presiding Officer’ to help you

• If you know who you want to vote for, you must go into the polling booth (where it is quiet and no one else will hear you) and tell the officer who you want to vote for. Your vote is private.

Help available (continued)

• The officer will mark the ballot paper on your behalf

• If you are not sure of who you should vote for, the officer will read out the names of the candidates (people who have put themselves forward to be voted for) and the party that they represent. The candidate’s names will be read out in the order that they appear on the list

Help available (Continued)

• When you have made a decision about who you want to vote for, tell the officer and he will mark the ballot paper on your behalf

Help available Section 2

• You may also be helped by a companion- this can be a close relative or friend who must be over the age of 18 or be a qualified elector

• You should ask the person in charge called the ‘Presiding Officer’ if you can be supported by your relative or

friend.

Help available Section 2 (Continued)

• If you are unable to ask the officer yourself, your relative or friend should speak to the person in charge and tell them that you need support

• Your relative / friend will need to complete a form

Section 3 Postal Votes

• If your signature has changed since you first registered to vote you can request a waiver postal vote application form.

• This means that you will need to provide your date of birth but will not need to sign the application form

Section 3 Postal Votes (continued)

To get a waiver form you can either E-mail:

elections@liverpool.gov.uk

or call: 0151 225 3173

and request an application form which should be returned to the address shown on the form.  Part of the application requires you to provide your date of birth.

Application Form

Name

Date of Birth

Section 3 Postal Votes (continued)

• When your postal vote application is sent out, a security statement is sent with it and you will need to provide your date of birth on this as well. This is then checked to make sure that the 2 dates of birth match before the vote can be included in the Count.

• If you need help to fill in the form you will be asked for the name of the person who helped you.

Form

Questions