Entitlement/Ability to vote?

[Tender Face]

Just wading thru paperwork .... mum gets little delivered to her since I registered EPA but have brought away the 'Voter Registration Form' issued by the local City Council delivered to 'The Occupier' at her address.

Local council (and everybody I else I could think of) have been informed of CoP registered EPA - but this seems to be a 'separate issue'. It doesn't seem to quite fit in 'financial'?????

Is she actually still entitled to vote? If I have effectively declared her 'mentally incapable' of making rational decisions and exercising her own affairs, how does she stand with being issued a ballot paper?

Mum has always been passionate about people 'not wasting' votes - always had a bit of 'suffragette' about her! (Wonder where I get it from? ) I'd love to think she could still exercise her vote for years yet - but I'm not even confident she could follow instructions now to put an 'X' in a box - and heaven help me if she ever realised later she had voted for the wrong person/party!!!!!!

Thanks, Karen, x

 

[Nebiroth]

There doesn't seem to be any information about this. In the United States someone can be declared mentally incompetent, but only in a Court presided over by a Superior Judge, and thus lose the right to vote.

The Electoral Commission's FAQ merely states that persons may register to vote unless they are subject to legal restrictions. The larger FAQ, which may be found at

http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/files/dms/0906whocanvote_23253-6144__E__N__S__W__.pdf

(It is a PDF so you will need Acrobat to read it)

states that "persons in mental hospitals can register to vote, unless they have been detained under some provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983, or have been convicted of murder".

I can only suggest that you contact your local council, who manage the electoral register. They should be able to tell you.


Not sure about EPA here, which is mostly about financial affairs.

 

[Skye]

Karen, if you know your mum would want to vote, why not register her for postal voting? That way you could supervise her 'cross'.

I did this for us as soon as it became possible, and I register John's vote for the party he has always voted for.

Don't know if it's legal or not, but I'm prepared to be challenged!

 

[connie]

Agreed Sylvia.

Registered myself & Lionel for postal votes 5 years ago. Obviously now he is totally incapable I have cancelled this.

It would be something to think about Karen.

 

[Nell]

At our recent State elections I asked the NH what plans they had for residents to vote. They looked at me blankly and said "our residents won't want to vote!". Not so my Mum! So we organised a postal vote for her. It worked out well. When she no longer realises there is an election coming up, I will just let it go. There will be a Federal election later this year and I suspect this will be Mum's last time of voting. But, who can tell . . . . . ???

 

[Tender Face]

Not so my Mum!

There are clearly some people who are peas out of the same pod!!!!!

Thanks everyone .... am going to ring the council tomorrow and arrange postal voting - even if that means all papers have to go to mum's address.

At least if she manages to destroy or hide the ballot papers before I get to them it will be HER fault she has wasted her vote and not mine .....

... although I have a strange feeling she wouldn't see it that way ......

I can but try ......

Thanks again, Love, K, x