Residents in the Penrith area have said they have faced issues with getting postal votes for the Penrith and Solway Constituency Election on Thursday having contacted both Cumberland Council who are responsible for the election in the Penrith and Solway Constituency and Westmorland and Furness Council as the local authority for the area.
Issues with postal votes have impacted voters in multiple constituencies across the UK with Royal Mail this week saying a review of the postal vote system is needed and government ministers launching and investigation into issues and delays faced by voters.
Across the UK there are reports of thousands of postal ballots not being delivered in time, with the postal affairs minister Kevin Hollinrake calling on Royal Mail "to do all they can" to make sure postal votes get to people in time.
Royal Mail has blamed the government for voters not receiving their postal ballots ahead of Thursday's election - and said there is "no backlog" in its system.
The Association of Electoral Administrators said on Thursday “The current postal voting system needs review and improvement. “
“Election teams are doing their very best to run this snap election, but with a short timetable – plus print and delivery suppliers working at capacity – demand is overloading the system.”
Cumberland Council spokesperson in a statement to Penrith.Town after concerns of local residents who have faced issues with postal votes were raised with both councils said: "Registration and postal vote applications for the Penrith and Solway Constituency for residents living in the Westmorland and Furness area are the responsibility of Westmorland and Furness Council, However, postal vote ballots are issued by Cumberland Council, who are the administrative authority for the Penrith and Solway constituency.”
"Any postal ballots that have been spoiled, or have not been received can be re-issued by the issuing authority and this is who voters would need to contact in the first instance. In the case of the Penrith and Solway constituency, this would be Cumberland Council.”
"Westmorland and Furness Council is the ballot issuing authority for the Westmorland and Lonsdale and Barrow and Furness constituencies and would be responsible for the re-issuing of postal ballots for those two constituencies. “
"The correct information relating to deadline dates and contact details for postal/proxy vote application enquiries was on the poll cards sent to all registered voters and this information was also published on the councils' websites. “
"The date on which postal ballots were despatched to applicants would depend upon when their application was received and processed. We are not aware of any delays in this process. “
"However, we do recognise that delivery timescales are tight for voters that made applications up to and including the deadline of 18 June. There has also been a rise in applications from residents with holiday plans at the time of the elections."
Cumberland Council have since issuing the statement clarified that the deadline was the 19th of June for applications to vote by post, and amendments or cancellations of existing postal votes or proxy votes not the 18th as stated in the council’s statement.
It’s understood that Westmorland and Furness Council have had Penrith electors complaining to the council they can't get through to Cumberland Council via emails or via phone calls to raise issues with postal votes for Thursday’s election.
With less than 24 hours before polls open for the 2024 General Election and changes to the rules for voting requiring Voter ID for the first time at a General Election and new rules around handing in Postal Votes with additional Forms to complete if handed in person rather than posted by the deadline for returns many postal votes could be rejected due to the delays and confusion if they have arrived for voters in time leading to potential legal challenges over the election results like challenges made in the American Presidential elections in 2020.
All polling stations open on Thursday morning at 7am and close at 10pm. If you are queuing up to vote before 10pm and it goes past this time, polling station staff must still allow you to place your vote.
Ballot boxes will be sealed after the polling stations close and in the Penrith and Solway constituency will then be transported to Workington Leisure Centre where the count will take place with the results expected by around 4am on Friday morning to announce who will be the MP for Penrith and Solway from the eight candidates standing.
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