Council downplay criticisms over missing postal votes in Barnet

The deputy leader of Barnet’s Conservative group Lucy Wakeley has criticised Barnet Council’s postal voting system after several residents reported their postal vote not arriving.

Cllr Wakeley acknowledged Royal Mail was partly responsible and added the “vast majority of postal votes should and did arrive” during the recent Mayoral and Greater London Authority (GLA) election.

However she has asked for the council to make replacing lost or missing postal votes easier.

Currently if a resident’s postal vote doesn’t arrive they need to go to the council’s offices in Colindale to get another printed.

Cllr Wakeley pointed out that the closure of Colindale station for six months due to renovations made this “difficult for many residents”.

The opposition councillor advised the Labour group to move this service to Hendon Town Hall in the meantime, as it was “easily accessible by public transport and by car”.

She said: “It is vital that all those who wish to vote can. That is why we are calling for the council to move or expand its service for the upcoming general election.”

In response Barnet Council pointed out fewer than 200 postal votes needed to be reissued from a total of nearly 60,000.

A council spokesperson said: “Postal voting is an effective and convenient way for many electors to cast their vote. However, in a small number of cases postal vote packs are lost, spoilt or not received by the elector and need to be reissued.

“The law requires that this is done in person by hand from ‘the council offices’. At the last election fewer than 200 postal votes needed to be reissued from a total of 57,171.

“Despite the closure of Colindale Tube station we are confident that the office at 2 Bristol Avenue is easily accessible by bus and car for those needing a reissued postal vote. Any postal voters who have concerns have until 5pm Wednesday 19 June to switch to a proxy vote or a vote in person at a polling station.”