Dementia can affect your ability to vote. Find out how you can be supported to keep voting with dementia in Australia, or choose to stop voting.
If you’re an Australian citizen older than 18, it’s mandatory for you to vote in elections.
But dementia can affect your ability to understand information and make decisions. This can include your ability to vote in elections.
You might notice this change in yourself, or someone else might notice it. If this happens, you can be supported to keep voting, or you can choose to stop voting.
Continuing to vote with dementia
If you live with dementia, you still have the right to vote. Here are some things you can do to make voting easier for you on election day:
Think about your vote ahead of time, so you don’t have to make your mind up on the spot.
Plan your visit to the polling place.
Ask someone to support you on the day.
Take any aids you need, like glasses, hearing aids and mobility support.
Take your time. You’re allowed to take as long as you need to cast your vote.
Ask for help from staff at the polling place if you need it.
You can also request a postal vote from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). They will send you a voting paper you can fill in at home and post back. Postal votes are safe and legal.
Supporting someone living with dementia to vote
If you are close to someone living with dementia, there’s a lot you can do to support them to vote. Here are some things you could do:
Read voting forms and instructions to the voter.
Explain the process of voting.
Translate information as accurately as possible, if they need language support.
Provide factual information that may help the voter, without influencing who they vote for.
Fill out forms under direction of the person you are helping.
Fill out the ballot paper according to the voter’s instructions, in their presence.
Return forms or postal votes on behalf of the voter.
Stopping voting
If you, or a person you trust to act for you, decides it’s time for you to stop voting because of the effects of dementia, you can ask to be removed from the electoral roll.
The AEC has a form you can fill in, called an Objection Form, that you or someone else can fill in with your permission. The person filling in the form has to be on the electoral roll. The form also needs to be signed by a medical practitioner, like your doctor.
After the form is sent to the AEC, they will write to you, the person living with dementia. You will have 20 days to tell the AEC you still want to stay enrolled to vote. If you don’t contact the AEC after 20 days, your name will taken off the electoral roll, and you will no longer be able to vote.
This is a big change. Make sure you make this decision and go through the process with someone you trust.
Support from the Australian Electoral Commission
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) can help you with information and advice on voting.
This video takes you through what you need to know about voting when you have dementia, or if you're supporting someone living with dementia to vote. Some of the information will also be relevant for people with mild cognitive impairment, but the language is focused on dementia.
Voting when Living With Dementia
Transcript
[Title card: Dementia Australia]
[Title card: Voting when Living with Dementia]
[Title card: Acknowledgement of Country]
Speaker: Nicole
Welcome to Voting when Living with Dementia. This session will focus on voting in a Federal Election in Australia. My name is Nicole and I'll be taking you through this recorded webinar. This information session is intended for people living with dementia as well as their family members and care partners. I am recording this session on the “Lands of The Darkinjung” people, in the area that is now called “Tuggerah Lakes” on the central coast of New South Wales. Aboriginal people have lived here for 40,000 years using the waterways and surrounding areas for fishing, hunting, recreation, cultural meetings, and creating art. I pay my respects to Elders past and present and to our shared futures. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this session may contain images and voices of people who have died. This session will take you through what you need to know about voting when you have dementia or you're supporting someone living with dementia to vote. Some of the information will also be relevant for people with mild cognitive impairment,but be aware the language is focused on dementia. The session will not cover candidates in the area, political parties or their positions or policies. It will focus on the process of voting and how you can get support if you need it. It combines information from the Australian Electoral Commission and Dementia Australia.
So today we'll cover:
Dementia and decision making.
What to do if someone can't vote or if you're unsure.
Voting in Australia.
How to vote in a federal election including some sample ballot papers.
How to support someone to vote and support for voting.
So what is Dementia? Briefly, it's an umbrella term that's used to describe a set of symptoms caused by brain disease. There are over 150 types of dementia with many different causes. The typical signs of dementia include gradual changes in thinking, memory, language, and other areas that impact everyday life and activities. Dementia is progressive; however, the symptoms can be different for each person as everyone is unique. The way people experience dementia depends on many factors, including their physical health their emotions and the support that's available to them. Although dementia is more common after the age of 65, it is not a normal part of ageing. Younger people can also have dementia. You can learn more about dementia in our other education sessions offered online and in person in some areas. Decision-making capacity is a person's ability to firstly, take in information about the topic at hand. For example, understanding that there is an election coming up and who you want to vote for.
Next, it's about understanding the information relevant to your decision, including the consequences of that decision and how to ignore irrelevant information. For example, understanding why it's important to vote and what might happen if you don't. It's about retaining the relevant information for long enough to make a decision or express a preference. So, this might mean remembering who you decided to vote for, once you get to the polling place. It's also about using the information to make decisions. So, this might mean choosing the best method of voting for you and your circumstances. And finally, it's about communicating that decision to other people in whatever way is possible so that could be verbally, in writing or in another way like 'sign language'.
Dementia is progressive and it can impact the way people take in and understand information. Over time, dementia tends to impact the ability to make decisions and a person with dementia may not be aware of this themselves depending on the type of dementia they have and how it impacts them. A decision such as voting, involves all of these abilities. For example, being able to understand written or verbal instructions about voting. Being able to weigh up the options and make a choice. To understand the significance and consequences of your vote. Being able to write your vote on the ballot paper or to tell someone else how you want to vote so they can write it down for you.
Later on in the session we'll talk about the supports that can help increase your chances of participating in voting even if someone has dementia. It's important to remember that people with dementia can make decisions. In Australia, we have a "legal presumption of capacity" which means it's assumed you can make decisions until it's proven otherwise. You don't have to prove that you have capacity. And a diagnosis of dementia does not automatically mean you can't make decisions for yourself. Decision-making capacity is decision specific. So, a person may be able to make decisions about one thing such as, 'what to eat?' or 'what to wear?' today and that doesn't mean they necessarily have the capacity to make other decisions like big financial or legal decisions. It can also fluctuate, meaning you may be able to make certain decisions sometimes but not all the time.
Things like the time of day, where you are, background noise, feeling anxiety or stress, the medication you take and its side effects or having an infection can impact on our capacity to make decisions. This is especially true for dementia because symptoms can also fluctuate, meaning they change from time to time, sometimes within the same day. There is also a difference between legal decision-making capacity and someone's capacity to vote. So, someone may have "Power of Attorney" in place for big decisions like legal decisions and still have the capacity to vote and make other smaller decisions. If you are a carer listening to this, an extra point to remember is that, if someone has capacity to make decisions, they can make choices that you disagree with. Just because a decision doesn't exactly make sense to you or it's not what you would choose, doesn't necessarily mean that person can't make, doesn't have decision-making capacity.
So, are you unsure about whether you or someone else you know can vote? A person living with dementia might realise or decide that they are no longer able to vote. This will depend on the type and the stage of dementia they have. A family member or care partner may notice some signs that a person with dementia no longer has capacity to vote or might be struggling with it. If this happens, start by having a conversation between you. See what you can figure out yourselves. If you are unable to reach a decision yourselves or you're in doubt, talk to your doctor next they can help to assess someone's current decision-making capacity and provide some guidance on the types of decisions that are or are not suitable for you to continue making. If you think that your capacity to vote is impaired or that you should no longer vote, there is a process to request removal from the electoral role. So, if someone is no longer able to understand the nature and significance of voting, their family or carers can lodge an "Objection Claim" to have their name removed from the electoral role. This also includes removal from "Jury Duty". You can request that via what's called an "Objection Form" and it must be signed by a medical practitioner. That person, that doctor will need to confirm that the person named on the form can no longer understand the nature and significance of voting. Now, the person lodging the form must be enrolled to vote and the Electoral, the Australian Electoral Commission will write to the person on the form and they will have 20 days to confirm their right to remain enrolled. In other words, you have 20 days to dispute the request. If there's no response, their name will be removed from the electoral role.
So why is voting important? It gives every adult Australian an opportunity to have their say on the government of our country and the issues that affect us all. People living with dementia have the same rights to participate in voting and should be supported to vote. And at Dementia Australia, we want to support people living with dementia to participate in our democracy for as long as possible. In Australia, it is compulsory for anyone over 18 to enrol and to vote in an election if you have lived at your current address for one month or longer. Now, you can be fined if you don't vote so it's important to make sure your details are up to date and participate in voting when it applies. Now it's up to you, and the people who support you, with the advice of your doctor and other health professionals to evaluate your capacity to vote in a way that is meaningful. Once a referendum or election is called, you will have limited time to update your details, so we really encourage you to act on this now. It's important to: One, check that you are enrolled correctly if you are. Secondly, to check that your details are up to date, your address is especially important because this determines the electorate that you need to vote in. Thirdly, some people may need to change their details if they have changed their name, such as through marriage or divorce. You can do this online on the Australian Electoral Commission website (aec.gov.au) or you can visit your local office where you can use a paper form.
You can also ask for paper form to be mailed to you in the post. The staff at the AEC office can help you to enrol or update your enrolment if you need support with that process. There are a range of ways you can participate in voting, depending on your needs. 'Early' voting means you vote in person at a polling place but before the official polling day. Early voting opens no earlier than 12 days before polling day, so you need to wait until the election date is announced before you know when it will be available. Early voting is available to people who are seriously ill, infirm or caring for someone who is. People who are in hospital. Have a reasonable fear for their safety or wellbeing. Are more than eight kilometres from a polling place. Are traveling or outside their electorate on polling day. Are unable to leave their workplace. Are a silent elector or have religious beliefs that prevent them from attending a polling place. You don't need to apply for this, you can just turn up to an early polling centre and follow the usual process of voting. There will be staff available at the polling center to assist you if you need it.
Another way you can vote is 'Postal' voting. For this one you need to apply. And the same criteria apply as for 'Early' voting. So, you will need to explain why you need this option when you apply. Applications open once the election has been announced. You can apply online through the website or with a paper form from any AEC office or sent to you in the mail. Now applications for this close the Wednesday before election day. If you are approved for postal voting, the AEC will send ballot papers and instructions to you in the mail. The postal votes themselves must be received within 13 days after polling day. You can also vote on polling day at the nearest polling centre if you don't need any of those other options. All you need to do is ensure your enrolment is up to date and then turn up on the day during the opening hours. Now these are generally extended hours longer than nine to five, depending on your area. The staff at the polling centre will guide you through the voting process.
Now, some things to be aware of or to think about. You may need to wait in a queue to vote and it could be outdoors. So, depending on where you live and the weather forecast on the day, come prepared with weather protection and anything else you might need while you wait. Once you are inside the polling centre, there will be staff available to direct you through the process. You will need to identify yourself and your enrolled address before you vote. It can be helpful to bring ID like a driver's licence for this. Once you're marked off by the staff, you'll be provided ballot papers and you can then fill them in privately in one of the booths provided. On the way, out you'll place your ballot papers in a collection box.
There are other voting options outside of the three that I've covered. There is telephone voting for people who are blind or have low vision. There are ways to vote if you are interstate or overseas. There's more information on the Electoral Commission website. In some cases, there's mobile polling available now for some residential care facilities and remote areas. So, these mobile polling teams will visit some residential care facilities up to 12 days before polling day. To find out whether this will be available at your residential care facility, talk to the staff there or contact the Electoral Commission. Now, note that this mobile polling is only available to residents of the facility. Family and carers will still need to vote via the standard methods.
So, if you are voting on polling day and you live with dementia, there are a few tips and pointers to think about. Think about your vote ahead of time. So, if you’re unsure what to do, read about the different parties and candidates in your electorate and it's up to you which, what to decide which ones best represent you and your views. If you already know which way you're going to vote, then you can focus on the process of voting when you get to the polling place. Plan ahead, so you have less to think about and deal with on the day. This could include looking up your nearest polling place online and working out how to get there. Checking the weather forecast. Think about what time of day is going to be best for your comfort and your capacity to vote. And also asking some support people to come with you. Think about your support needs. Which parts of the voting process are you comfortable with and are there any way you might need some support? For example, maybe you're clear on how to vote and who you want to vote for but your dementia symptoms mean you find it difficult to write in small, on small pages or in small boxes so you need someone to fill in the ballot paper with you. Or perhaps, if you have mobility issues and you need some sort of aid to walk and move around, have a look at the accessibility of the polling places near you to find the one that's best.
If your symptoms impact things like your vision and your hearing, take any aids that you have with you, so reading glasses, hearing aids, et cetera. If you have sound sensitivity, maybe take earplugs or noise cancelling headphones to help you focus and tune out background noise. Take your time, there's no hurry, even if there are lots of people waiting to vote, you have every right to take the time you need to complete the process comfortably. And finally, ask for assistance if you need it. So, your family members or care partners and ask for assistance from the staff at the polling booths. They're available for that reason. Later on, we'll talk about what a support person is allowed to do to assist you to vote. An extra tip is when you enter the polling place, there will likely be people offering you "how to vote" instructions for their particular party or representative. Now you can take these flyers if you want to, but you don't have to. It may be helpful not to take any of them as it may add extra information that might confuse you. Those "how to vote" flyers are not official information or required in order for you to vote. The staff inside the polling centre work for the Australian Electoral Commission and they are the best people to ask if you need help.
Now we're going to look at the process of voting in a federal election. So, you'll need to fill in two ballot papers. One is for the 'House of Representatives' and one for the 'Senate'. Before we look at the papers themselves and how to fill them in, there are a few key terms that's helpful to know. So, the government is the party or group of parties with more than half the representatives in the Lower House of Parliament. That's the House of Representatives and their Leader is the Prime Minister. The Senate is the Upper House of Parliament which has roughly half as many members as the Lower House. It serves the purpose of reviewing the work of the government and ensuring that States and Territories with smaller populations are represented in Parliament. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have a role in legislation. This is the first ballot paper for the House of Representatives. It's the smallest one and it will be coloured "green". Although on the screen this example may look more like yellow.
There is only one way to correctly fill in this ballot paper, and that is to number all the boxes in the order of your preferred candidates. Votes that are not completed correctly are called "informal" votes and are not counted. Now the number of boxes on your piece of paper may vary slightly depending on the candidates and parties that are available in your electorate. And if you want to practise this, the Electoral Commission provides practice polling papers on their website that anyone can use to practice the process of voting. This is the second larger ballot paper, and it will be printed on "white" paper.
There are two ways you can fill in this one. Above the line or below the line, NOT both. Again, the number of boxes above and below the line can vary depending on which electorate you are in and how many candidates are running. Above the line is where you can express your preferences for parties or groups of candidates. “1” is for your first preference and so on. And you need to fill in at least six boxes above the line. Below the line is for ranking individual candidates independently of the party or group they are part of. For example, if you want to choose which candidate within a party you give your first preference to or some other preferences, perhaps you might want to prioritise female candidates. For below the line, you need to fill in at least 12 boxes for your vote to be valid. Again, you can also practise filling in this paper online on the Electoral Commission website.
Now, elections are an important part of living in a democracy like Australia. And in the lead up to an election, there's a lot of information out there about it. You may see and hear a wide range of information in the news, online, on social media. You might receive information in the mail and you'll probably hear lots of discussion and opinions from many different people. This makes it important to stop and consider the source of information. There can be misinformation and disinformation about elections. People sharing information may have different motivations, including getting you to vote for them or against someone else or to vote in the same way that they do. Some of this information may be important for you to think about but some of it may be wrong either accidentally or on purpose. So, stop and think about whether you should believe the information. Check if it's reliable. Is the information from a reliable or recognised source one that you trust? Is it current? Is it the latest information and is it safe? Sometimes the information could be a scam. Right, now we're looking at supporting someone to vote. So, the Australian Electoral Commission provides guidance on what you can and can't do to support someone to vote either at a polling place or for a postal vote.
These, these are some key points:
You can read voting forms and instructions to the voter.
Explain the process of voting.
Translate information into another language as closely as possible.
Provide factual information that may assist the voter without bias.
You can fill out forms under the direction of the person you are helping.
Fill out the ballot paper based on the voter's instructions in their presence and return forms or postal votes on behalf of the voter.
It's also important to understand what you can't do as a supporter:
So that is to make a voting decision on someone's behalf.
To influence their decision when providing information or completing ballot papers with them.
To sign for a voter, even if you have Power of Attorney.
To take away a voter's ballot papers and postal voting envelope and fill it out for them. You can only do that in their presence and under their direction.
Influencing a vote is an offence and legal penalties may apply to anyone found guilty of this, especially for staff in organisations such as nursing homes and hospitals. So, a few more specific tips about supporting someone with dementia. Use simple language and an appropriate pace. So this includes asking one question at a time and waiting for an answer, giving the person plenty of time to think and respond. Choose the best time of day. A person with dementia may experience more symptoms or less capacity to take in information at different times of the day. Support sensory changes, so we've covered some of these earlier now if someone has visual or hearing changes, make sure they're wearing their glasses or hearing aids. Reduce background noise, which can be quite distracting. Choose where to have conversations so a quiet room at home rather than in a busy cafe. Anything you can think of to give the person with dementia the best chance of taking in and understanding information.
Depending on their personal history it might be helpful to refer to past examples to help them. Firstly, understand what to do or perhaps to boost their confidence. For example, remind them of how they have typically voted in the past or talk about other situations where they successfully make decisions and complete paperwork. Focus on what the person with dementia can do, rather than what they can't do. They probably have more capacity than you realise and can still make their own choices with the right support. The Australian Electoral Commission provides additional support at any stage of voting.
So, leading up to the election and during the election and anything afterwards. That support includes accessible voting information and candidate lists to support people with a range of abilities and communication methods. They have "Easy Read" guides for people with cognitive or language impairments or people who speak English as a second or third language.
A range of voting methods including the postal and telephone, telephone voting we discussed earlier. Accessible polling places for people who have physical disabilities or who need assistance with mobility. Assistance to vote regardless of the method that you're using to vote. And telephone interpreting services and translated information online for those who speak a language other than English.
If you need more information the best source is the Australian Electoral Commission. They have an excellent website which is quite easy to navigate, contains lots of information and support for enrolling and voting. They have a one three (13) phone number, which is charged at the cost of a local call from anywhere in Australia and that's available Monday to Friday from 9:00am - 5:00pm. We also have the National Dementia Helpline which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's a free and confidential service, and they can help you with information about dementia, a confidential discussion about your situation and assistance to find supports and services in your community. There's also the "Older Person's Advocacy Network" and they can provide information on your rights or provide support by advocacy, especially in relation to Government funded aged care services. So, we would really appreciate it if you could share your feedback about this session via a short survey. So, you can use your mobile or tablet to scan this QR code on the screen. If you need more time, you can pause the video and it will stay up until you've got the survey open. The QR code will open a survey where you can let us know how you found this session, any other topics you'd like us to cover and how we can improve. Finally, if you have any questions following this session, please contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. Thank you.
[END OF RECORDED MATERIAL]
[Title card: If you have any questions following this session, please contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500] [Title card: No matter how you are impacted by dementia or you are you, we are here for you]
You can also contact the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) for support.
Contact the National Dementia Helpline for information, advice and support on voting or any other aspect of dementia. We're available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year.
Free and confidential, the National Dementia Helpline, 1800 100 500, provides expert information, advice and support, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. No issue too big, no question too small.
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