9 February 2022

Staff are being asked to promote voting rights in our inpatient units and community teams in the run-up to local elections on 5 May 2022.

Historically mental health patients and those living with intellectual disability have been socially isolated, marginalised and disenfranchised.

So CNWL has created a web page - https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/patients-and-carers/voting-rights with resources for staff to use, including an updated poster to be put up around wards: 

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/application/files/7116/4363/2438/SERVINT0157_A4_Poster_Local_elections_WEB.pdf

Staff should look particularly at: https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/download_file/5788/0

and download this leaflet for patients: https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/application/files/7716/4363/2637/VOTING_RIGHTS_INFORMATION_LEAFLET_FOR_SERVICE_USERS.pdf

It is important to remember that:

  • The vast majority of patients in the community can vote.
  • Voluntary patients in mental health hospitals can vote.
  • Patients under civil sections, such as section 2 and 3 of the Mental Health Act (MHA), can vote.
  • Patients on a Community Treatment Order (CTO) can vote.
  • Patients who lack capacity can vote.
  • Patients who are homeless, of no fixed abode or in B&B accommodation can vote. Prisoners remanded to hospital under the Mental Health Act (MHA) on Sections 35, 36 or 48 can vote. Only patients detained after having been convicted of committing a criminal offence and been ordered to hospital by the Courts cannot vote.

To vote in the elections on 5 May you must be registered to vote. The deadline to register is midnight on Thursday 14 April 2022. It takes five minutes to register and you can do this online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

    • If you were registered to vote in the last election and your details have not changed, you don’t need to take any action. If in doubt, you can check with your local authority.
  • There are a number of ways to have your say – you can vote in a polling station, by post or by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf, known as a proxy vote.
    • The deadline to apply to vote by post is 5 pm on Tuesday 19 April 2022
    • The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5 pm on Tuesday 26 April 2022
    • The deadline for emergency proxy applications is 5pm on Thursday 5 May 2022

The Electoral Commission also has additional information on elections and the registration process: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter

Stop press: The Electoral Commission has also produced a range of resources for local authorities and other partner organisations engaging with voters to raise awareness about the elections, from voter registration to voting options.

The resources are available in a variety of formats and will include social media graphics and template posts, template press releases, email signatures and printable posters.

The resources are available on its website: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/partner-charity-or-local-council/may-2022-elections-resources-voter-registration.

It has also created new resources for young voters, which we have added to our Voting Rights page. 

These are: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/welcome-your-vote/resources-14-18-year-olds/your-vote and https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/welcome-your-vote/resources-educators.