Table of Contents
- Voters fear delays to Royal Mail postal ballots could affect the outcome of the July 4 election
- Here’s everything voters need to know about delayed ballots and what to do.
- Follow MailOnline’s live coverage of the final day of campaigning here
Thousands of voters across the UK have been caught up in chaos over postal voting problems ahead of the general election day on 4 July, but which areas are affected and what happens if postal parcels have not been received?
Concerns are growing that thousands of people could miss out on voting after up to 90 precincts reported problems with ballots not arriving on time.
The crisis is said to have been caused by councils failing to print enough ballot papers and Royal Mail failing to deliver them on time.
Despite being criticised for the delays, Royal Mail denies it is the cause and blames the tight timetable set by the government after Rishi Sunak called a snap election for July 4.
Thousands of voters across the UK have been thrown into chaos by issues surrounding postal voting. This map shows the areas where delays have been reported
Postal Affairs Minister Kevin Hollinrake said: The Telegraph“We urge Royal Mail to do everything it can to ensure postal votes reach the right people at the right time, and time is absolutely of the essence at the moment. There is a resource issue.”
He said Royal Mail should have prepared for increased demand during the summer holidays as the first July elections since 1945 coincided with the summer holidays for Scottish schools.
Here you will find everything you need to know about the issue and what to do if you have not received your mail-in ballot.
What’s happening with postal voting in the UK?
Voters have been reporting problems receiving their mail-in ballots ahead of Election Day on Thursday, July 4.
The deadline to register to vote by mail was June 19, but some people still haven’t received their ballot packet.
For a vote to be valid, postal votes must have reached the councils by 10pm on voting day.
Voting by mail has grown in popularity over the years, with numbers rising from 937,000 in 1997 to 8.2 million in 2019.
More than 10 million mail-in ballots are expected to be cast in this election, a 20 percent increase over 2019, according to Mirror.
The tight schedule has put additional pressure on councils to print and send out ballot papers correctly and securely.
Election boards and administrators have expressed concern that the timeline is too tight (11 business days from the deadline) as printing mail-in ballots is a complicated process and election teams must perform additional security checks.
Which areas of the UK have been affected by delays to postal voting?
Delays in mail-in voting have been reported in several council areas, including:
- Blackburn and Darwen Council
- East Lothian Council
- Edinburgh City Council
- Fife Council Medway Council
- North Hertfordshire Council
- Southwark Council
- Teignbridge District Council, Devon
What can I do if I haven’t received my mail-in ballot?
Voters who have not received their postal ballot can request a replacement from their local authority until 5pm today.
Royal Mail guarantees that all ballots will be delivered on time. Completed postal votes must reach local councils by 10pm on election day to be counted.
Voters can also pick up a new ballot packet in person at their local town hall up until 5:00 p.m. on voting day, bringing with them a valid voter ID (22 forms accepted, including passport, driver’s license, or valid government-issued bus passes).