One in six (17%) people in the UK aged 18 and over are put off voting because of their physical or mental health – equivalent to over 9 million people.

This comes via research by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), which also said that one in 14 (7%) are put off by not having the right ID to vote.

According to the survey, around one in three (32%) adults feel overwhelmed by the amount of information available about the general election, rising to almost one in two (49%) among 18- to 24-year-olds. Women are more likely than men to feel overwhelmed by the amount of information available (40% compared to 23%). 

Other things that put people off voting include: thinking it won’t make a difference (31%); not knowing who to vote for (27%); not having enough information about candidates (20%); and lack of interest in politics (19%). 

Karin Orman, director of practice and innovation at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, said: “Too many people feel excluded from voting because it’s not made accessible to them. Voting is a right, and people shouldn’t face any barriers if they want to exercise that right. Sadly, our survey shows that many do.  

“However, for many of these challenges, there is support available at polling stations – people just aren’t always aware of it – such as asking for reasonable adjustments, or bringing a companion into the polling booth with you. There are also some things that people can do themselves, that they may not have thought of, for example, looking at information in bitesize chunks or watching short videos if they feel overwhelmed. 

“That’s why we’ve developed advice for voters, broken down by the challenges they might expect to have, to make it as accessible as possible. It’s written by occupational therapists to show the different ways we can support people – both when it comes to voting, and more broadly throughout their life.”