Demand for postal votes “overwhelming the system”

Concerns have mounted about whether postal votes can be counted in time for this week’s general election, in particular those from newly enfranchised voters abroad.

The campaign group Unlock Democracy said: “A postal system that is unreliable at the best of times will stop many eligible voters overseas from taking part in the general election.

“Extending the right to vote to overseas voters isn't the same as their postal votes actually being counted.”

The Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) repeated calls for earlier deadlines for absent voting applications as its members in local authorities grappled with unprecedented demand for postal votes.

Given the short timetable for this election and print and delivery suppliers working at capacity “demand is overloading the system”, the AEA said.

It noted that returning officers were legally barred from helping electors whose postal vote does not arrive, and said emergency proxy vote provisions should be expanded to include electors who have not received their postal vote.

Printing postal votes is “a complicated process” and personalised postal vote statements must be matched with the correct ballot paper, personalised envelopes and instruction sheets, the AEA said.

Closing applications 16 working days before a poll, rather than the current 11, would increase capacity for these processes and give voters more time to return their votes.

The AEA said it expected postal vote numbers to exceed 10m, a 20% increase from the 2019 general election.

An Electoral Commission spokesperson said the regulator was unaware of “any outstanding large-scale issues”, with postal votes.

The commission said responsibility for printing and issuing postal votes sits with local authorities, and its guidance says that election teams should ensure voters receive their postal ballot packs as soon as possible.

Mark Smulian