At least 15 local election votes have been disqualified in Oldham after a council printing error saw the wrong candidates listed on ballot papers.
Voters in the Waterhead ward were given papers listing candidates from Shaw – a seat around three miles away – in error.
The mistake came to light shortly after polls closed on Thursday evening as counting began across 136 councils in England.
All 10 Greater Manchester boroughs were among those holding elections, with a third of seats being contested.
The disqualified votes could have significant consequences if the Waterhead result is close, potentially forcing the authority to call a re-run of the vote.
Oldham Council said it was aware of ‘an issue affecting some ballot papers in the Waterhead ward’ and that an investigation was under way to determine the full extent of the problem.
