Polling card fiasco in East Devon

Candidates ‘frustrated’ at polling card delay

Election candidates in East Devon say they are frustrated that many residents had still not received polling cards with just days to go before the election.

The district council has admitted its printing contractor has made an error, leading to delays in posting some polling cards. It released a statement at 5.20pm on Monday saying they would go be sent “by first class post today.”

The council’s administrative area encompasses two new parliamentary constituencies; Exmouth and Exeter East, and Honiton and Sidmouth.

The majority of East Devon parishes and wards seem to have been affected, with places from All Saints and Awliscombe through to Cullompton, Honiton, Sidmouth and Yarcombe on the list of places impacted.

The council says the cards should arrive with residents before polling day on Thursday, when polling stations are open from 7am until 10pm.

Olly Davey, Green Party candidate for Exmouth and Exeter East – which some have dubbed ‘triple E’ – said it is “slightly frustrating. Voters do not need the polling card to vote, but it does act as a good reminder for people and gives them confidence that they are on the electoral register,” he said.

“But, it is important to stress, again, that people can still vote without their polling card as long as they have a valid form of photo ID with them.”

He added that concerned residents could contact East Devon’s electoral service team, but that it was “run off its feet” as election day draws closer.

“It is a slight glitch in the system, but I’m not desperately worried as Green party voters tend to be politically engaged so it isn’t too much of a concern,” he said.

Paul Arnott, who is the leader of East Devon District Council and the Liberal Democrat candidate for the triple E seat, directed queries about the issue to the returning officer, the person responsible for the conduct of elections, including printing polling cards.

Vanessa Coxon, an independent candidate running for Honiton and Sidmouth, said she was “very frustrated” with the council for contracting out the printing in the first place.

“It’s really poor,” she said. “It has been a major hiccup, but with only five or so weeks to prepare for the election, it hasn’t given people adequate chance to get everything organised.”

She also stressed that voters do not need to take polling cards to the polling station, but they do need ID. She questioned why the ID requirement for voting had been brought in when she didn’t need to show photo ID to become a candidate.

Another independent candidate, Dan Wilson, who is standing in the triple E seat, said the situation is “a mess” and fears it could dent an already expectedly low turnout.

“I think we were already looking at a low turnout and this won’t help, which is a big shame,” he said.

“I think everyone should take their chance to vote, and that’s why I support mandatory voting.”

He said that his expectations of a low turnout were due to “nobody being inspired by the main parties” and a widely-held view that the UK was set to elect a Labour government.

Mr Wilson thinks the polling card issue in East Devon is “more incompetence than a master plan to stop people voting,” but noted he had seen conspiracy theories online about polling card delays in other constituencies and what some people thought they could mean.

While voters do not need to take polling cards to vote, they need a valid form of official photo ID, a list of which can be found on the government website.