Voting in the General Election

To be fully included in a democratic society, we should all have the power to affect who is elected to govern us. This is enshrined within the Human Rights Act (1998) but can easily be taken for granted.

Thanks to our Registered Manager, who is currently undertaking a Masters degree in Inclusion, we were able to undertake a six week programme to educate the people we support in an unbiased way, so that they could come to their own conclusion about who to vote for and why.

The process we took to involve and engage the people we support was not extraordinary - it is the approach that we take with all new experiences or events. However, what we have come to realise is that what they achieved is truly exceptional.

Simon, our Registered Manager devised a six week programme to educate and inform in an unbiased way.

Step 1 - (within the first week): Simon and the team provided information about the General Election. Our discussions took the form of group chats and individual conversations. It was important that no judgement or attempt to alter people’s opinions and viewpoints was taken. We also included easy read information, so that we could adjust our communication styles to people’s preferences.

Step 2 - (weeks one to two). Registration. We discussed voting preferences in detail: in person or postal, so that people could share their personal preferences. Voting in person helps to embed a sense of community, a shared experience and interactions with polling staff, which helps to create a sense of achievement. However, voting in person can be a barrier to some people, therefore we shared details of a postal vote and what it meant, so that everyone had free choice.

Step 3 – (week two to three) What is important to you? In anticipation of the manifestos, we supported people to consider what is important to them, framed within areas of political interest. We planned conversations around ‘Likes, wants, hopes and dreams’.

To make this stage interactive and to suit communication preferences, we utilised talking mats, verbal discussion, Makaton and pictures. The use of talking mats, even for those with good verbal communication, provided a good platform to lead discussions. Individuals that do not communicate with spoken words allowed the importance of where they placed the pictures on the talking mat to do the talking.

Step 4 – (from week three) sharing information from political parties’ key issues and manifesto, guiding individuals to match issues important to them.

We needed to be mindful that there was a risk of manipulation, through intention or without consciousness. Therefore, it was important that staff were aware of their position of potential bias to another’s decision, particularly for those with more complex communication needs. The importance of not influencing choices but to act simply as an accessibility tool was stressed to staff. Guidance was given to only present published information and not embellish these with personal views. To mitigate further, we ensured that all conversations were supported by the Registered Manager to ensure unbiased communication.

We invited each local electoral candidate to visit the homes. This more than anything brought the world of politics to the individuals without requiring the medium of staff. One person not only chatted with the candidate about the election but lobbied for the installation of a road crossing. We started to see the power of the conversations, and how these had inspired opinions and preferences, as well as an understanding of how those thoughts could translate into action by understanding the role of Government.

In preparation for polling day, we created a mock polling station to allow some experience of the process and help people to prepare. These moments help to ease anxiety and support individuals so that they can focus solely on their choice for candidates.

Step 5 – Polling Day. Those who chose to vote in person were supported by staff to go to the polling station and cast their vote.

At the polling station, our staff provided support to locate and enter the polling station and engage with the polling station staff and voting processes. The invisible aspect of emotional support included here helped to reduce the level of anxiety. A picture of each candidate was taken to put against the name on the ballot paper, so that people could match the names to the individuals they had met, and their manifestos.

All individuals required assistance with the process of voting, although most were able to mark their own ballot paper. One individual indicated his preference for staff to mark his ballot by pointing to the photo of his chosen candidate.

The station manager at the polling station said in all his 16 years in charge, he was not aware of autistic adults or people with a learning disability previously voting. All of the polling station staff were supportive and said they had learned from the experience.

With correct planning and support, more autistic adults and people with Learning Disabilities can exercise their democratic right to vote and use this power to make a positive change. The adult social care space is dictated by the Government, and it is only right that those directly impacted by the decisions have the opportunity to cast their vote.