We have gathered together easy read resources to help people with a learning disability to vote in the general election on 4 July. The resources include guides to voting and easy read versions of the main political parties’ manifestos.
There will be a general election in the UK on Thursday 4 July 2024.
People across the UK will get the opportunity to vote for the MP they want to represent them in UK Parliament. This vote matters to everyone in the country, and that includes people with a learning disability.
In 2014 Mencap did a survey to find out what voting is like for people with a learning disability. They found out that:
- 70% of people with a learning disability said that they want to vote.
- 64% of people with a learning disability have felt unable to vote in past elections.
- 60% of people with a learning disability said that registering to vote was too hard.
- 17% of people with a learning disability were turned away at the polling station because of their learning disability.
Many disabled voters still experience barriers to political participation including:
- registering to vote
- understanding who to vote for,
- access at the polling station.
One of the biggest barriers for people with a learning disability is a lack of accessible information.
Here is a round-up of recent, useful easy read resources that can help you use your right to vote at the 2024 UK general election.
Easy Read Wales guide to voting in the 2024 UK general election
Your Guide to Voting in the 2024 General Election
Our own easy read guide to voting in the 2024 general election. We wanted this guide to cover everything you would need to know about voting in the general election including:
- What a general election is
- Why your vote matters
- Who can vote in a general election
- Registering to vote
- How to vote
- Voter ID
- Deciding who to vote for.
My Vote My Voice
My Vote My Voice is a campaign to remove voting barriers and raise awareness about people with learning disabilities and autistic people’s right to vote.
They have lots of easy read information about politics, elections and voting on their website www.myvotemyvoice.org.uk, including:
- Quick guide to voting
- Register to vote
- How to vote in an election
- Voter ID and how to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate
- Voter passport (PDF) – A4 sheet of paper to hand to polling staff so they easily can understand the reasonable adjustments you need to be able to vote.
- My rights at the polling station – This is a document you can personalise and show to polling staff so they can understand the reasonable adjustments you need, and the laws which support them.
- Key issues for each party in the General Election 2024
Political party easy read manifestos
Here are the easy read political party manifestos available so far:
Liberal Democrats – scroll to the end of the page
Labour – scroll down the page
Welsh Labour (PDF)
Conservatives (PDF)
Other easy read guides and resources
Easy read information about voting by Mencap UK
Easy read guide to UK General Election 2024 by Mencap UK (PDF)
Easy read guides to voting and elections by Innovate Trust
Easy read guide to registering to vote by gov.uk (PDF)
Easy read guide to applying for a postal vote by gov.uk (PDF)
Easy read guide to applying online for a proxy vote by gov.uk (PDF)
Easy read guide to applying for a Voter Authority Certificate by gov.uk (PDF)
Easy read guide to the main parties in the UK General Election 2024 by Barod (PDF)
Keep checking our resources page for up-to-date easy read resources and manifestos.
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