Several citizens have expressed concerns over their elderly relatives who have dementia being taken to vote without the relative’s prior knowledge or permission.

On a Facebook post, Maltese television personality Peppi Azzopardi said that his mother who resides at St. Vincent De Paul residence and ‘does not recognize Azzopardi as her own son,’ was taken from her ward to vote.

Azzopardi said that the staff informs the family of everything they do for his mother, however they were not informed of this decision.

Independent candidate Arnold Cassola shared messages on Facebook from citizens who have verified that their vulnerable relatives were taken to vote despite some being bed ridden or unable to communicate.

One message read that an 80-year-old woman who has dementia and is bed ridden, and “does not even recognize us,” was taken outside three blocks away on a wheelchair to vote. The woman was taken back without having voted, and her relative questioned what happened to her vote, and if it was used.

Article 58 in the Constitution of Malta with regards to the disqualification of voters deems that “no person shall be qualified to be registered as a voter for the election of members of the House of Representatives if he is interdicted or incapacitated for any mental infirmity by a court in Malta or is otherwise determined in Malta to be of unsound mind.”

Cassola also received a message by a doctor working at Mater Dei, claiming that doctors are instructed to only evaluate the physical aspect of the patient, disregarding the mental problems the patient is suffering.

“If the patient is non communicative but physically stable, we still are obliged to tick the person as fit to vote. If they're unwell with acute cognitive problems but are physically stable, we should be sending them down to vote. I really feel embarrassed about this situation as we're sending these poor patients down to vote and clearly cannot do so,” the message read.