With campaigning now underway ahead of polling day on Thursday 4 July, all those wishing to vote are advised to make sure they know what they must do in order to be able to do so.
Voting
Voting can be in person, by post or via a proxy. There have recently been some changes to how to vote in local and general elections. The main change is that photo ID is now required at polling stations. Everyone who votes in person needs to show an accepted form of voter ID.
Voting on someone’s behalf
Voting in person on someone’s behalf is known as proxy voting. A proxy vote must be arranged in advance on the Government website. The person chosen to place the vote (the proxy) must be someone the registered voter trusts to act on their behalf and must reflect the person’s wishes in the choice of candidate or preferred outcome in a referendum.
Voting and the person you care for
As a carer you may wish to support the person you are caring for to register or act as their proxy. Please see this blog post from Leeds City Council on how to do this locally and information on voting when you have dementia or a learning disability.
Carers Leeds and the Election
Carers Leeds has also written to every candidate standing in constituencies across Leeds asking them to pledge to support unpaid carers and work with Carers Leeds to ensure carers in Leeds and nationally get the recognition and support they need.
The Pledges
- End Carer Poverty: overhaul Carer’s Allowance and other benefits so carers receive better financial support. Help carers find and stay in work, including a right to paid carers leave. Provide access to state-funded small grants in challenging times.
- Increase investment in social care: so Local Authorities can truly meet their existing duties to unpaid carers and the people they care for. Adequate funding for respite care to fund much needed breaks for unpaid carers.
- A carer-friendly NHS: make the NHS the most carer friendly health service in the world. Create a duty of care for the NHS to identify and support carers, providing carers with the resources they need to keep going.
- Caring as a protected characteristic: recognise caring as the 10th protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.
- Enhance community support: Commit adequate and sustainable funding to local voluntary and community support services, like Carers Leeds, who can help protect carers from excessive caring demands and address health inequalities.
You can see which candidates have pledged below. If you have any queries about the General Election, please email comms@carersleeds.org.uk or call our Advice Line on 0113 380 4300.
