A mother and son who experienced difficulties voting at the general election because they are clinically vulnerable and wear masks indoors say access to democracy needs to be improved. Debbie King, 59, told i that she and her 27-year-old son Ethan, who both have health issues, encountered difficulties voting in the election last week as they were asked to go indoors to remove protective face masks as a result of voter ID rules. Ms King, who suffers from spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spine which affects her mobility, as well as fibromyalgia , an energy limiting condition which causes widespread pain, said the family always wear masks in indoor settings to protect their health.
Her 27-year-old son Ethan has autism and chronic fatigue syndrome and her 24-year-old son Soren has postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), which means his heart rate increases very quickly after getting up from sitting or lying down. Read Next How low voter turnout impacted the election - and what it means for the Tories “Soren’s condition affects his mobility and since he got Covid in 2021, he has very much gone downhill,” Ms King said. “He was actually due to come with myself and Ethan to the polling station, but was too ill on the day so couldn’t vote at all.
“Soren has been so damaged by Covid and any additional infection could cause further relapse. He is already severely affected and extremely unwell, so the thought of him getting Covid again and potentially getting worse is unthin.