CLASP thank elections team after latest visit to charity

Members of Wokingham Borough Council’s Electoral Services Team were given a thank-you card after returning to a local charity to give an interactive talk about the upcoming elections.

CLASP Wokingham welcomed back the elections team for the second year in a row for the talk at the Bradbury Centre in Wokingham on Friday 12 April.

Members, trustees and staff from CLASP, a self-advocacy group for adults with learning disabilities, attended the event. A presentation was given about the local elections and Police and Crime Commissioner election happening on Thursday 2 May.

Debs Morrison, CEO of CLASP Wokingham, said: “We are very appreciative that the council had spent time preparing for the session, creating a mock ballot and telling us all about the voting passport. The members found the session really interactive and fun. We always find these sessions with the council so engaging.”

During the presentation, member were reminded about bringing photo ID if they planned to vote at a polling station and how to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate if they did not have any of the approved forms of ID.

There was information about the extra help available at polling stations for people with accessibility requirements, such as magnifiers and easy-read guides on voting.

Members were also told about voting passports, a sheet of paper, which can be handed into polling staff to help them understand any adjustments needed to help a person vote.

Following the presentation, members took part in a mock ballot and were asked to vote for their favourite type of drink, with a tea coming out on top ahead of coffee, soft drinks and water. The elections team were then presented with a card to thank them for coming.

Samuel Whitcher, Electoral Services Manager, said: “It is always a pleasure to visit CLASP. The members asked excellent questions and were really engaged with what we had to say. It is really important for us to ensure all residents feel comfortable about voting, especially in light of the recent changes brought about by the Elections Act 2022.

“During the mock ballot, we were able to check that members were registered to vote and that they had the right ID, which helps them to feel confident about what to expect from polling day. It had already been a lovely session and it got even better when we suddenly received a thank-you card from the members.”

Residents can bring anyone over the age of 18 to help them vote, or they can ask polling station staff to help them cast their vote.

Tactile voting devices, large print sample versions of the ballot paper and magnifiers will be available to help blind or partially sighted voters mark their ballot paper. You can also take your phone into the polling booth and use the magnifier, torch or text-to-speech apps to help you vote.

All polling stations will be accessible. Each will have level access, or an entry/exit ramp or a separate entrance, so that everyone can access it. Once inside, every polling station will have a wheelchair accessible polling both. All polling stations will also have easy-read guides about how to vote.

The council website now has a dedicated webpage on accessibility at polling stations, which has lots more information about the help available.