Printing mishap on polling cards could cost £33,000

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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A BLUNDER which meant thousands of residents received Wakefield Council polling cards with a wrong date on could cost £33,000 of public money.
Cards that said householders should register to vote by proxy in this year's district elections by Tuesday May 27 – three weeks after the election itself on May 6 – have been sent out to around half the electorate.

The cost of sending out new cards with the correct registration date on could be £33,000 if the council does not manage to negotiate a discount with Royal Mail – although the £5,000 cost of reprinting them is to be waived by the printer.

The mishap was revealed at yesterday's full council meeting, when Coun Elizabeth Knowles asked Knottingley councillor Graham Stokes what the cost of rectifying the mistake in time for the election would be.

Knottingley councillor Graham Stokes, cabinet member for business and resources, answered: "For the first mistake we've made in 30 years I think we've got a really good election office.
"The poll cards all had the wrong date on. New cards have been printed and will be put through letterboxes around April 8.
"The £5,000 reprinting cost has been waived by the printer as a gesture of goodwill as they should have proofread and they admit some culpabilty, although the council should also have proofread it.
"Postage costs are £33,000 but we are trying to negotiate a discount with Royal Mail and staff costs will be hardly anything at all."

Coun Stokes also said the error happened as the elections office team were dealing with two long term staff absences and parish and district by-elections.

He added: "It's an honest mistake, it's a rare mistake.
"They feel as bad about the mistake as we do."

The correct final date for registering for a proxy vote in this year's Wakefield Council elections is Tuesday April 27 by 5pm.
See next week's Express for the full story.

[johnsouthwales]

bit of an expensive bolls up by the looks.. proof reading is always down to the printers. they can only print was had been drafted to them. if may was on the original draft, council are responsible. if april is on the draft, printers are responsible. council reading of proof is for satisfaction/confirmation of product. if it is mandatory for a council proof reading BEFORE delivery, then the printers are exonerated even if it was their muck up.

if someone was on holiday, how come they couldn't be arsed to get someone else who is covering to look at it? and save the humiliation of having taxpayers to fund again the delivery of the said items. and on the cheap as well. RM will be losing money having to redeliver.

don't you just love britain...

[POSTMAN]

if the council does not manage to negotiate a discount with Royal Mail

Why would/should they get a discount off of us

[DGP1]

if the council does not manage to negotiate a discount with Royal Mail

Why would/should they get a discount off of us

They could just send it DSA..................and ask them for a big discount for it