With parts of Britain already being battered by heavy rain and storms, concerns have grown that some people will struggle to make it to polling stations to cast their vote in today’s general election.
However, a dedicated parking app is offering a one-day-only deal to let voters park for free in spaces close to voting destinations across the country for up to half an hour.
The incentive, provided by firm JustPark, is designed to benefit the elderly and less mobile voters who might find it difficult to battle blustery and wet conditions predicted for Thursday.
Park for free to vote: With weather conditions possibly worsening for today’s general election vote, a parking app is offering free spaces near polling stations on the day
Conditions are looking set to deteriorate on Thursday, causing concerns that the elderly, less mobile and pregnant might struggle to get to polling stations to vote
Concerns have intensified this week around the impact of the weather on turnout, with the vote taking place in December for the first time in 96 years.
A yellow wind warning was issued on Tuesday across much of England and Scotland, with forecasters warning that strong gusts are likely to cause delays on the rail networks and roads for rush-hour commuters.
It was previously thought that Storm Brendan could hit UK shores this week, but experts at the Met Office said the conditions won’t reach levels severe enough to warrant a name.
Heavy winds and rain has been clobbering parts of north England and southern Scotland during the week, and the Met Office has also issued a severe weather warning for ice across parts of Scotland today.
With the deadline for postal votes passing at the end of November, members of the public now have no choice but to attend polling stations in person if they intend to vote.
The Met Office issued a yellow wind warning across much of England and Scotland this week, with very strong gusts expected – potentially causing transport delays
To make this easier and more accessible for all, JustPark is giving away 30 minutes of free parking in its spaces around polling locations for one day only.
Users will need to visit the website’s dedicated general election page where they can search for their polling address using their own postcode and then select one of the free-of-charge parking spaces in close proximity.
The spaces are free for just half an hour, which should be more than enough time to get in, tick a box next to the name of your preferred candidate and get out.
It offer comes after JustPark surveyed 2,005 UK adults and found that three in five expect the winter weather to limit the number of voters heading to the polls.
The survey, conducted earlier in November, revealed 20 per cent more people are planning to travel by car to place their vote for this election than they would do when it’s held in spring time.
However, with the weather worsening in recent days, that figure could be much greater.
Enter your postcode on JustPark’s dedicated general election page and it will tell you where your local polling station is and the availability of 30-minute free parking spaces close by
All available spaces will waver the charge to park for up to half an hour in an effort to encourage more to get out and cast their votes
Two thirds of the panel already claimed they were concerned about the ability of elderly, disabled or pregnant people getting to polling stations.
That means the need to drive may be higher than before.
When quizzed about the feasibility of hopping in the car for the 2019 general election, a quarter of respondents (26 per cent) said they would be more likely to drive to the polls if parking options were cheaper and more readily available.
Anthony Eskinazi, founder and chief executive of the parking app, said: ‘Whatever your political opinion, we can all agree that boosting voter turnout is important, but it can be a real challenge given the time of year for this election.
‘For 12 years, we have been working to give drivers a readily-available seamless parking experience.
‘We always try to give drivers peace of mind when it comes to finding and reserving spaces on our app, and the upcoming election day should be no different.’
Previous studies have, however, suggested that the weather has little to no impact on the turnout of voters.
According to Stephen Fisher, a politics researcher at Oxford University, analysis of 15 years of elections up to 2002 showed no obvious correlation between the volume of votes and the weather.
That said, the period covered in the study didn’t have the same potential for severe transport delays and disruptions that are expected today.
Other studies also suggest that shorter days have a minimal impact on the volume of votes.
John Curtice from the University of Strathclyde’s cited two post-war elections that took place in February, both of which had high turnouts despite fewer daylight hours.
Former Home Secretary Alan Johnson, who launched the offering with JustPark, added: ‘I am pleased to be part of a campaign that aims to get more people voting on December 12.
‘This will be the first December election for 96 years and for the elderly and infirm in particular, there will be real worries about the cold and dark conditions.
‘Being able to park, free of charge, close to the polling station will make a significant contribution to voter turnout.’
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