London mayoral election result fears after postal votes go m

[TrueBlueTerrier]

London mayoral election result fears after postal votes go missing

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/p ... 775378.ece

The Post Office failed to deliver postal votes in time to be counted and may have skewed the outcome of two elections in the City of London, The Times has learnt.

The delay has raised further doubts over the viability of postal voting before next month’s local elections.

The City of London Corporation is so concerned that postal ballot papers for the mayoral and London Assembly elections on May 1 may not be delivered on time that it is seeking assurances from the Greater London Authority and the Royal Mail about the arrangements.

The concern follows the late delivery of postal votes for two by-elections in the City. Nearly half the postal votes cast in the ward of Farringdon Within were not received in time to be opened and counted in the April 9 poll. Postal votes for Billingsgate also arrived late. Chris Duffield, the town clerk and chief executive of the City of London Corporation, said: “It appears that these votes may have been held by the Post Office for some time.â€