AEA warns of potential for general election ‘postal vote problems’

Election administrators are concerned about “the potential for postal vote problems at upcoming elections” after one city received over 1,000 postal votes after polls had closed.

More than 1,400 postal votes for May’s local elections to Brighton & Hove City Council were not counted after Royal Mail failed to deliver them on time.

Polling stations closed at 10pm on Thursday 4 May however Royal Mail delivered 1,423 postal ballots the following morning at 8am which by law could not be counted.

Laura Lock, deputy chief executive of the the Association of the Electoral Administrators, told LGC she is concerned there could be similar issues ahead of the next general election, which is expected to take place in 2024 and could see many more ballots cast by post when eligibility of overseas voters is extended.

She said: “This will have been a difficult situation for electors, candidates and the returning officer and elections team, all of whom will have been dismayed this many votes arrived too late to be legally counted. We are concerned about the potential for postal vote problems at upcoming elections.

“We are worried about Royal Mail’s ability to do the volumes of it because it’s not just postal votes they will have to do ahead of an election, it’s poll cards, all of the candidate mailing and if we have a snap parliamentary election they’ve got 25 working days to do everything. That’s a very short time period for them.”

The second tranche of changes from the Elections Act 2022 will be implemented over the course of 2023 and 2024 and include extending votes at the general election to all British citizens living overseas, by removing the 15-year limit on the eligibility for them to register to vote.

The government estimates that ending the limit will mean around 3.5 million British nationals living overseas will be eligible.

Postal ballot packs will be sent overseas to be completed by electors before they are returned, placing a greater burden on Royal Mail.

Ms Lock described the timetable for the distribution and receiving of overseas postal votes as “incredibly tight”.

“Nominations close 19 working days before an election, you can’t print ballot papers until you know who the candidates are,” she told LGC.

“If all things are in our favour people can’t get their ballot papers out until 18 working days before so that causes some immediate delay. We also have a system where overseas electors can register up until 12 days before the poll and they can request the postal vote up to 11 days before the poll.

“We have to just question whether it’s realistic for people to be allowed to register so late. Does it give them an unrealistic expectation that they will get their ballot paper in time? These are all things that we’d like the government to consider in more detail.”

LGC has approached Royal Mail and the Department for Levelling Up Housing & Communities for comment.