Votes lost due to tight deadline for postal votes

The Polling Cards have been received so late for these elections.

What have Mid Sussex District Council been doing?

My EU election card arrived on Friday 3rd May 2019.

I downloaded the form for a postal vote and completed it and posted on Tuesday, 7th May 2019, 1st class mail.

Today, 9th May 2019, I have received a phone call from Mid Sussex District Council saying that my application for a postal vote is too late.

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As the weekend was a Bank Holiday so no post on Monday 6th, I couldn’t have responded faster.

How many votes are going to be lost because of this.

I feel incensed.

Mail that I posted at the same time arrived in Cardiff on Wednesday 8th so I feel that this was not actioned in time by MSDC.

Maureen Sharman

Mytten Close

Cuckfield

In response, Tom Clark, Returning Officer for Mid Sussex District Council commented:

“Mid Sussex District Council, in consultation with the Cabinet Office, felt it would be best if the poll cards for the European Parliamentary Elections did not arrive ahead of the local elections which were taking place on Thursday, 2nd May. This was particularly relevant as the District was taking part in a voter ID pilot project, and an additional poll card arriving may have led to some confusion leading to people taking the wrong poll card to the polling station on 2nd May, which did not have the necessary barcode on it. Accordingly, they were dispatched to Royal Mail on Wednesday, 1st May, to arrive as soon as possible after local election day. Anyone unable to apply for a postal vote by the deadline of 5pm on Wednesday, 8th May, could appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf at the European Parliamentary Election. The deadline for proxy vote applications is 5pm on Wednesday, 15th May 2019.”