UK postal ballots arrive late or not at all

They included one reader who said her ballot paper only arrived on Friday last week, leaving limited time for her to return it, while another reader early this morning reports his has still not arrived.

Reader Ann Bone said having posted back her ballot to Calderdale council on Saturday her French post office said it had “little chance of getting there”, and her husband’s, from Shropshire, has not come at all.

She said the envelope showed the letter, posted on May 3, had been routed through the Netherlands.

Reader Richard Best meanwhile said: “My voting papers have not arrived, despite renewing my details with Lewes District Council many weeks ago, and, receiving an acknowledgement to the effect.

“Even if the forms arrive today, there is no time to get them back to Lewes by tomorrow.”

Both readers, frustrated by the delays, said they suspected an attempt to prevent Britons abroad from having a vote, however Connexion is not aware of any evidence that this is the case.

In some cases in previous elections councils have allowed readers who did not receive postal ballots, or received them too late, to have an emergency proxy vote, so if this situation applies to you we suggest contacting your UK council as soon as possible.

We are also interested in hearing from other people who have had difficulties with their postal vote – please email news@connexionfrance.com

This comes as the French Conseil d’Etat recently ruled that nothing could be done about the problem of Britons in France who did not register in time to vote in the elections in France due to Brexit. The court said they should have known that Brexit might be put off.

Note that you should not vote in both the UK and France, though you have the choice if you have not lived outside the UK for more than 15 years.