William Eichler 07 April 2026

Councils apologise for poll card ‘confusion’

Councils apologise for poll card ‘confusion’ image
Poll card © Yau Ming Low / Shutterstock.com.

Braintree District Council and Essex County Council have issued a joint apology after poll cards sent to voters across the district named the wrong council — leaving residents unsure which authority they were actually going to the polls for.

In a joint statement, Braintree District Council and Essex County Council confirmed that poll cards issued for the 7 May elections mistakenly describe the vote as being for ‘election of councillors to Braintree District Council’ rather than Essex County Council.

The local authorities also reassured residents that cards do correctly state the name of the voter's electoral area, as well as the date, time and location of their polling station.

Both councils apologised for ‘any confusion’ caused and said the matter was under investigation by the district council and their print supplier to prevent a repeat of the error.

Half a century in the chamber image

Half a century in the chamber

Cllr Dr James Walsh was elected to Arun District Council in 1975. Here he tells LocalGov what he's learned about trust, transformation and keeping it local.
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