Buckinghamshire Council issue guidance to Aylesbury care home residents ahead of local elections

Please find this guidance here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/arrangements-for-visiting-out-of-the-care-homeThe guidance sets out how care home residents will be able to go out to vote, subject to the below safeguards, without the need to isolate for 14 days on their return. This is in the context of wider supplementary guidance for care home residents, enabling them to leave their care homes to spend time outdoors, without the need to isolate on their return.

When visiting a polling station, the following measures should be in place:

Residents should be accompanied to the polling station by a member of care home staff to help facilitate a safe journey; and

Residents (and staff accompanying them) should adhere to all social distancing measures in place at the polling station.

The Council said: "We have consistently advised electors wishing to use a postal or proxy vote to apply early, and the deadline for absent vote applications has now closed.

"We are aware therefore that many people living in care homes will have already arranged to use a proxy or postal vote to exercise their right to vote.

"However, where people living in care homes are registered to vote in person, care providers should take all reasonable steps to support them to do so, and the supplementary guidance provided by the Government will facilitate this."

If someone is unable to vote in person at their polling station because they are self-isolating as a result of government or medical advice, and have not registered for a postal vote, they may apply for an emergency proxy vote here:

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-04/Emergency%20employment%20proxy%20vote%20application%20form.pdfA completed emergency proxy application form must then be submitted to Electoral Services at Buckinghamshire Council before 5pm on 6 May before the proxy can vote in the elector’s polling station on their behalf.

Forms then need to be emailed to [email protected] and the emergency proxy’s email address must be provided.