No support for Alzheimer’s: Elderly couple turned away from polling station
A 76-year-old woman was stopped from assisting her 81-year-old husband at a polling station in Bruinisse on Thursday morning, RTL reports.
The man suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, and under current Dutch law, assistance in the voting booth is only permitted for physical disabilities, not cognitive impairments, reportedly to prevent undue influence.
Schouwen-Duiveland Mayor Jack van der Hoek confirmed that the polling staff acted in a right manner. “Physical help is allowed only for those who cannot hold a pencil due to conditions like poor eyesight or other physical limitations,” he said.
The couple left the polling station “disappointed and very angry,” according to local newspaper Wereldregio.
Van der Hoek expressed understanding for their reaction but noted the husband could have legally authorized his wife to vote on his behalf. He plans to raise the incident in the upcoming national evaluation of the municipal elections.
