Ms Annette Costello:

I have personal experience of postal voting. Medical certification is required on someone's first application. On an annual basis, that person must then confirm to his or her local authority that he or she is still disabled and still requires the postal vote. I find it offensive that a GP has to indicate how long someone's disability or illness will last. Most people acquire their disabilities in adulthood and no one would choose to be disabled, so being constantly asked whether people are still disabled and still need their postal votes is unacceptable in my personal opinion. The criteria need to change. As we referenced in our presentations today and last year, people in other jurisdictions just tick a box saying they need postal votes and there are no questions asked. This is the most appropriate approach.

Having to get permission to attend a different polling station in the same local electoral area is unacceptable in this day and age. It should never have been the case in the first place, given that everyone has a constitutional right to vote. No one wants to have to trek around to find a more suitable polling station.

The Deputy asked about nursing home and hospital voting, although there are also other environments where people would not be in their local electoral areas. Different provisions apply depending on the environment a person is in and someone would not necessarily require certification from a GP or hospital consultant in some environments. However, I have not examined this matter in as much detail as the postal vote for disabled voters, which is my area of interest.

Have I answered the Deputy's questions sufficiently for now?