Care home residents in Bucks allowed out to vote in local elections on Thursday

Residents who have not applied for a proxy vote, can vote in person, following government guidelines
Care home residents are allowed to go out to vote in the local electionsCare home residents are allowed to go out to vote in the local elections
Care home residents are allowed to go out to vote in the local elections

The Department for Health and Social Care has issued updated guidance for people living in care homes regarding visits out of their home to cast their votes on Thursday May 6.

The guidance sets out how care home residents will be able to go out to vote, subject to the safeguards outlined below, 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, residents should be accompanied 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.

For government guidance see hereMany people living in care homes will have already arranged to use a proxy or postal vote, however the deadline for absent vote applications has now closed.

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.

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 can apply for an emergency proxy vote here A completed emergency proxy application form must then be submitted to Electoral Services at Buckinghamshire Council before 5pm on May 6 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.​