Low-cost post meant papers came too late to vote

Often delays were linked to local councils choosing to use a low-cost mail service that sent letters via the Netherlands.

Around 50 readers with such issues contacted Connexion.

The campaign coalition British in Europe (BiE) cited hundreds of reports.

Several councils had used the UK post firm Adare, but ballots arrived late, leaving readers worried they could not be returned on time.

The firm’s website states its “post solution enables clients to achieve the maximum postal discount possible”.

In many cases, mail passed via a service in the Netherlands called PostNL (see image above).

One council using Adare, Cal­der­dale, said it sent packs on May 2. Reader Anne Bone got hers via PostNL on May 17.

Her post office said it had little chance of arriving on time. She said: “It’s a shambles. My cynical side sees the ballot papers not arriving as a deliberate act, as opposed to the favoured theory of incompetence.”

Her husband’s ballot arrived from Shropshire council on May 24 and appeared to have been sent by ordinary UK first class mail, as opposed to the tariff for the continent. It had no date stamp.

Calderdale said it had received three complaints, which it would “thoroughly investigate”.

Reader Bernadette Whitely said her ballot had not arrived from Barnsley by May 20.

The council said it sent ballots on May 1, earlier than those to UK addresses. It said it received back 40 postal votes out of the 100 that it sent overseas.

Out of two complaints received so far, both from people in France who received their ballots on May 17, the council said it had contacted them and received their votes in time.

It had used Adare for local elections in recent years without problems but said it was working with the firm and the Electoral Commission to “thoroughly investigate to make sure this doesn’t happen again”.

Adare said it has worked with several councils, making up and posting the ballots.

It said that “quality and on-time delivery is always of utmost importance” to it and that ballots were released into the postal system in line with election/council timetables. It said it uses “reputable inter-national mail handlers for overseas delivery, who assess the best route through other European countries before the mail arrives at the destination”.

Adare processed 2,331 overseas postal ballots for the May elections on behalf of councils.

BiE chairwoman Jane Golding said “hundreds, if not thousands, will effectively have been disenfranchised”.

“Sending out ballots using the cheapest route when there is an imminent deadline is nothing short of reckless,” she said.

“The UK needs to… set up 21st century procedures for dealing with overseas voters.”

The Electoral Commission said it has guidelines for councils, including prioritising overseas ballots and using airmail.

The Cabinet Office said it is up to councils to organise posting but it helps by funding an efficient means of vote return.

There are no plans for a co-ordinated approach to postal votes across the EU and it is left to each country to organise.

Estonia has an online system which is said to work well.

If your ballot paper came late – or not at all – email news@connexionfrance.com - With your permission, we will forward details to BiE who aim to bring legal action.