Election officials plan to check the Royal Mail delivery office on general election polling day to ensure that no postal votes are left behind.
They aim to prevent a repeat of the problem last year when the Royal Mail delivered nearly 1,500 postal votes to Brighton and Hove City Council the day after polling day.
At the time, in May 2023, the council’s deputy returning officer Michael Appleford sent a strongly worded letter to Royal Mail and raised the issue with the Electoral Commission.
After the local elections in May last year, Councillor Steve Davis said that there had been just 19 late postal votes at the 2019 local elections.
The Green opposition leader added that the number of late postal votes nationally had totalled 23,389.
Last month, far fewer votes arrived late for the two council by-elections – in Kemptown and Queen’s Park wards – and for the Sussex police and crime commissioner (PCC) election.
Votes had to be in the council’s hands by 10pm on Thursday 2 May – and of the 27,385 postal votes issued, 151 arrived too late as follows.
- Tuesday 7 May – 53 votes arrived
- Wednesday 8 May – 38
- Monday 13 May – 9
- Tuesday 14 May – 50
- Wednesday 15 May – 1
The Kemptown and Queen’s Park by-elections each had seven postal votes arriving late on the same days as the delayed PCC post.
Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Our acting returning officer is working closely with Royal Mail and will continue to do so throughout this election period.
“At our most recent election – the May 2024 PCC vote – the number of postal voting packs received after the close of poll was not significant.
“For the general election, a deputy acting returning officer will also be visiting the Hove delivery office on polling day to check for any undelivered postal voting packs.”
Anyone wishing to vote in the general election on Thursday 4 July needs to be registered by 5pm on Tuesday 18 June. Postal votes must be registered by 5pm on Wednesday 19 June.
For those who do not have the required photographic ID, the deadline for registering for a voter authority certificate is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June. The same deadline applies for applying for a new proxy vote.
To vote in person, electors need to take their photo ID (identification) – such as a passport or driving licence – to their designated polling station.
They open at 7am on Thursday 4 July and close at 10pm.
Absolutely do not care who you are, and what colour you vote for, but vote. Elections are not just won by who votes, but by who doesn’t.
Council are not addressing what the problem was though despite this claim. The problem in 2023 was not the Hove delivery office, it was the Gatwick sorting office where the votes were stuck at so they should be visiting that.
Postal votes should be banned unless you are serving / living overseas or in hospital / housebound. Too many opportunities for certain male dominated households to decide how everyone is going to vote. Also, take a pen to the polling booth. We all know pencil can be rubbed out😳
That’s more an issue with individuals than anything else. Postal votes allows lots of people who may not be able to attend a polling station on the day for a variety of reasons, such as disability, working situation, no voter ID, etc.
Because as we all know every case of domination is perpetrated by males.
Tell that to my wife…ideally with a head start and a barrier in-between you both.
I always have one so my vote happens and is not impacted by travel or health issues
The issue with our area will voters actually get the voting forms. I was still getting christmas cards in mid feb.
Get the forms out in common areas, community centres, cafes, and the like. Help with the access at least.