Blunder leaves 19,000 voters with wrong cards

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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A blunder by ballot paper suppliers resulted in red faces after 19,000 people received incorrect voting cards for the upcom-ing European and county council elections.

A printing error saw the cards, posted through doors in areas of Ashford, containing incorrect information about how to vote.

A letter of apology and correct cards were then sent out, but at no cost to the taxpayer.

The bill for the reprint was picked up by Electoral Reform Services (ERS) which printed the wrong cards.

It is believed to be the first error the company has made since overseeing the distribution of polling details. Information normally printed on the back of polling cards intended for postal voters was mistakenly printed on the back of some cards intended for people due to vote at polling stations. Ashford council’s head of democratic services, Trevor Robertson, said:
“We learned of the error the day after the cards were sent out, when members of the public contacted us. ERS has accepted full responsibility for the mistake and immediately sent out replacement cards that are a different colour to the original white cards and an apology to all affected voters.

“The company met all additional printing and postage costs and has also paid for the extra staff time the council required to field public queries about the error.”

Joseph Macey, project manager at ERS, said:
“There was a problem with the settings on the printing machines. It was our mistake and we’ll take it on the chin. It is the first mistake we are aware of making in our history.”

He added: “We have covered the cost of reprinting and sending out new cards and also have told Ashford council we will compensate them for the extra man-hours caused by our mistake.”

Despite estimates running into five figures, Mr Macey said: “It is too early to put a price on how much this has cost us.”

[brothermagrew]

Does this then mean that the posties will have been paid twice for their original error?

[dvbuk55]

Does this then mean that the posties will have been paid twice for their original error?

Our ballot papers are delivered by council staff - usually in the evening or at the weekend.

[apple]

ye same as us except for the rural duties and we do them, leave us with the awkward ones and the more costly