Care Home Votes

[Call Me Al]

This topic has been flagged up in previous years, where it has been alleged that certain Councillors (and their trusted aides) will go into care homes and assist the elderly in completing their postal voting forms.
Is there potential for this to happen in any of our wards this time around.

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

Councillors, care home staff etc. aren't allowed to go anywhere near the postal votes. If someone needs a hand filling the postal vote form in, Democratic Services will assist. They're a pretty professional department.

[Truthache]

I would have thought it a Safeguarding issue for care homes if individuals intervened in the postal voting process for their residents.  As a general principle, do people diagnosed with dementia get to cast a vote?  If so, there must be doubt about each individual's capacity complete the process correctly, no matter who they choose.
What are the rules?

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

I would have thought it a Safeguarding issue for care homes if individuals intervened in the postal voting process for their residents.  As a general principle, do people diagnosed with dementia get to cast a vote?  If so, there must be doubt about each individual's capacity complete the process correctly, no matter who they choose.
What are the rules?

From the Electoral Commission: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/176168/IER-Guidance-on-assisted-applications-in-England-and-Wales.pdf

And the Alzheimers' web site: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/blog/dementia-doesnt-change-your-right-vote-june-8