Postal votes branded 'a scandal' (From Northwich Guardian)

Postal votes in Davenham and Moulton branded 'a scandal'

3:20pm Tuesday 20th September 2011 in News By Gina Bebbington

POSTAL voting for the last election has been branded a scandal by a Northwich councillor after voting statistics were revealed.

Town councillor Brian Jamieson, from Northwich’s Labour group, said only half the expected amount of postal votes were returned in one of the town’s major wards because residents did not get their packs until it was too late.

The average return for postal votes in the Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) area in May was between 60 and 70 per cent but in the Davenham and Moulton ward it was just 31.4 per cent.

The elections were organised by CWAC’s electoral services department.

Clr Jamieson said: “It’s an absolute scandal.

“Some people didn’t receive a postal vote and some got it late – we know because we asked them.

“I suspect in the main CWAC got it right but for one ward so many people have been disenfranchised.

“If they ask for a vote it’s because they intend to use it and it’s not good to be disenfranchised in this day and age when we’ve got all the means at our disposal.”

Clr Jamieson said he suspected many of the voting packs were sent out too close to the Royal Wedding and first May Bank Holiday, on April 29 and May 2, which only left two days before the May 5 election day.

“To win the vote for people was hard fought and this has been denied by some administrative failure,” he said.

A CWAC spokesman said: “All postal packs were processed and all were ready for Royal Mail by April 20.

“This process was overseen by the electoral services manager at the printers.

“We had a minimal response from voters who said their postal packs were missing and these requests were processed the same day.

“Cheshire West and Chester Council remains committed to ensuring everyone eligible is able to exercise their right to vote.”