Anger over late delivery of polling cards

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.romseyadvertiser.co.uk/news/ ... ing_cards/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A ROMSEY woman is angry that she has lost her a postal vote in the General Election after a Royal Mail blunder.

Many others in the area could be left in the same boat.

Royal Mail didn’t deliver official polling cards until Wednesday – the day after last applications for postal vote requests had to be lodged with Test Valley’s returning officer.

Anita Rose said: “I am really angry about this. It could mean I’ve lost my vote because I am out of the country on election day. I didn’t know when the postal vote applications closed until I looked on the back of the polling card and immediately saw it was too late.”

Test Valley Borough Council told Mrs Rose that the late delivery of her poll card and was down to Royal Mail and she would not be able to vote by post because the cut-off date for applications had gone. “I’ve reported this to the Ministry of Justice and have been told that they are going to look into it,” said Anita.

TVBC spokesperson, Christine Brown, said the last day for postal vote application requests was April 20 and this had been published in the March issue of authority’s in-house paper, Test Valley News and all homes across the area received a copy with council tax bills.

“We cannot issue poll cards until Parliament has been dissolved and this was on April 14. The cards were printed on April 14 and sent to Royal Mail the next day for first-class distribution and they should have been delivered earlier. It’s the failure of Royal Mail.”

“The situation for the lady concerned is unsatisfactory, but we can’t do anything further.”

Mrs Brown advised people who were unable to get a postal vote to ask for a proxy vote. The closing date for that is 5pm next Tuesday (April 27).

Mrs Brown concluded: “Postal voting forms are being despatched today (Thursday, April 22) and we would urge anyone who has applied to vote by post to return their forms as soon as possible.”

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: “We received the mailing this week and delivered the majority of cards on Tuesday.”

During the May, 2007, council elections, Royal Mail delivered stacks of postal votes to a factory in Andover, instead of the borough’s HQ in the town and the blunder wasn’t discovered until after the election.

[Broxi51]

TVBC spokesperson, Christine Brown, said the last day for postal vote application requests was April 20 and this had been published in the March issue of authority’s in-house paper, Test Valley News and all homes across the area received a copy with council tax bills.

“We cannot issue poll cards until Parliament has been dissolved and this was on April 14. The cards were printed on April 14 and sent to Royal Mail the next day for first-class distribution and they should have been delivered earlier. It’s the failure of Royal Mail.”

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: “We received the mailing this week and delivered the majority of cards on Tuesday.”

Test Valley borough council said in a MARCH magazine that the last day for postal voting application forms to be handed in was April 20th even though they didn't have a scooby when the general election would be

I think TVBC are playing pass the parcel with this. Parliament was dissolved late morning/afternoon of the 14th April and yet the cards were printed by 6pm on the 14th April and sent to RM on Thursday 15th April according to the council. That gives Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday to have them delivered. For something as important and serious as a GE, you would have thought that TVBC would have given at least 2 weeks after the dissolution of parliament.
Not brilliant press for RM but crap service from TVBC

[Lounge Lizard]

"Anita Rose said: “I am really angry about this. It could mean I’ve lost my vote because I am out of the country on election day" - she's probably only a Tory anyway.

[Poshpost]

My Local Government Election Poll Card is Royal Mail 2nd Class, however it was delivered by a council employee during the evening about two weeks ago. My Parliamentary Election Poll Card is Royal Mail 2nd Class and was delivered Monday of this week by the postman.

[DGP1]

We still haven't recieved our poll cards into the office yet so she should count herself lucky that she got hers at all

[axeman]

And most all councils pay there staff 20p or more per card ........................ now how much profit does royal fail make per item