Councils from across the country have been forced to apologise after voting errors left scores of constituents struggling to vote.
Polling cards with directing voters to the incorrect polling stations were issued in Hounslow, while around 100 people are thought to have been unable to vote in Bournemouth due to administrative errors in the sending out of ballot papers.
Bournemouth said the Electoral Commission was ‘satisfied’ with the approach the town hall took to ensure people affected by the issue could still cast their vote. The town hall handed out targeted flyers and set up a local helpline to provide assistance or transport support.
In a statement, Bournemouth said: ‘We apologise unreservedly for the inconvenience caused’.
A number of polling cards with incorrect information on polling stations were sent out to registered voters in Hounslow.
The London borough of Hounslow was forced to shuttle voters between polling stations after many people in its Bedfont constituency were provided with the wrong directions on where to vote.
Hounslow LBC later apologised for any inconvenience caused.
Mendip Council in Somerset admitted a number of residents had failed to receive their postal voting pack in time and urged those affected to submit their ballot at town hall offices.
East London’s Hackney Council acknowledged there had been an ‘issue’ for numerous voters who used online registration systems and were failing to appear on the printed register.
However the town hall affirmed ‘nearly all of these have been able to vote’ after issues were resolved and said it was ‘confident’ the vast majority of residents would ‘be able to vote without any problems’.
