Memorandum by Mencap (VOT 20)
Thank you for giving Mencap the opportunity
to respond to your inquiry into voter registration. Mencap is
the UK's leading organisation representing people with a learning
disability, their families and carers, and as such we are pleased
to contribute towards this important inquiry.
GENERAL COMMENTS
The majority of people with a learning disability
have the capacity to understand what voting is about and should
be included on the electoral register. It is therefore imperative
that any new process adopted to enable people to register to vote
is simple, straightforward and easy for people to interpret. In
the case of registering people with a learning disability, it
is also very important that the role of a supporter or "attestor"
is clearly established and does not discourage registration or
deny people the right to vote.
(a) Advantages of individual registration
compared with the existing system of household registration
1. Northern Ireland has already adopted
an individual registration process. However, Mencap has noted
with concern the findings of the Electoral Commission in their
report, The Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act 2002: An
assessment of its first year in operation, that:
"The process of individual registration
may inadvertently have impacted on people with learning disabilities,
thus effectively disenfranchising hundreds of people who in the
past may have voted".
2. This demonstrates that while there are
clear benefits to an individual registration process including
giving the public greater confidence in the electoral process,
any moves towards an individual registration process must carefully
address the potential difficulties that may arise as a result.
3. First, some people with a learning disability
will be unable to understand or complete complex voter registration
forms. It must be a priority that any registration form produced
should be available in a fully accessible format, with supporting
guidance, to enable people with a learning disability to complete
their own forms if possible.
4. In Northern Ireland, if a person is unable
to complete their own form because of their learning disability,
an "attestor" may do so on their behalf. The "attestor"
is then sent a letter which (s)he must sign to prove the person's
ability to vote.
5. However, this can mean that too much
onus may be put on the attestor (usually a parent/carer) to make
a judgement about the capacity of the person with a learning disability
to vote, which could be a particular problem if the attestor is
not sure of electoral law.
6. Therefore it is vital that if such an
approach was adopted in England, the following points should be
taken into account:
6.1 Parents and carers who will act as attestors
must be given clear information, support and guidance so that
they are confident in their role and the right of people with
a learning disability to vote.
6.2 Residential care home managers should
also be made aware of how the process would work for their residents.
(b) Strategies for encouraging registration,
in particular among young voters, and tackling resistance to registration;
and examination of the advantages and disadvantages of compulsory
registration
7. People with a learning disability, their
parents and carers often do not know their rights around registering
to vote. There are a number of ways in which people with a learning
disability should be encouraged to register to vote:
7.1 All forms and information, such as leaflets
on how to vote, registration forms and websites must be produced
in a fully accessible format. Mencap are disappointed that there
is currently little accessible information available from the
Electoral Commission in this area.
7.2 There needs to be a specific promotional
campaign targeted at people with a learning disability, their
families, carers and residential care managers, highlighting the
right to vote of people with a learning disability and the process
of registering.
7.3 A wider issue surrounds the general public's
perception that people with a learning disability do not have
the right to vote. This must be challenged.
7.4 The Electoral Commission Outreach programme
currently raises young people's awareness of democratic processes
in the UK. An expanded programme encouraging other groups, including
people with a learning disability, to register to vote would be
of clear value.
(c) Advantages or disadvantages of electronic
rather than paper based registration systems
8. It would be advantageous for both paper
based and electronic registration systems to be available in order
to maximise everyone's options. However, for people with a learning
disability, it is of vital importance that both technology and
paper based registration systems are produced in accessible formats.
9. Any safeguards that are introduced to
prevent fraud in electronic registration will need to ensure that
they do not act as a barrier to people with a learning disability.
For example, people with a learning disability sometimes find
it difficult to remember a PIN number and would therefore need
to be assisted. However, they would also need support to ensure
that their voter identity is protected.
(d) Difficulties for the disabled and others
unable to complete forms
10. We have referred to the possible difficulties
people with a learning disability face when completing forms in
paragraph 3. As always we would stress the importance of accessible
forms alongside supporting and accessible guidance.
David Congdon
Head of External Relations
| 
