POSTAL VOTE NOT ARRIVED?
POSTAL VOTE NOT ARRIVED? Here’s an update from Somerset Council.
We know that some postal voters are concerned they have not yet received their UK Parliamentary general election ballot pack.
Somerset Council is administering seven Parliamentary Constituencies across its area, and has sent out more than 101,000 postal votes.
Frome and East Somerset
Glastonbury and Somerton
Taunton and Wellington
Tiverton and Minehead
Wells and Mendip Hills
Yeovil
Postal votes were despatched on the following dates:
Friday 14 June if you are an overseas elector, or 17 June if you live in the UK and were already a postal voter before 22 May, or are a new applicant with an application processed by 4 June.
Monday 24 June if are a new postal vote applicant with an application received before 5pm on Wednesday 19 June (the statutory deadline to request a new postal vote or to change your postal vote arrangement).
Finally, all residual postal votes (210) were posted first class by Friday 28 June.
How to apply for a replacement postal vote pack
If you are one of the very few who have not received your postal vote pack, you can apply for a replacement up until 5pm on polling day, 4 July.
To do this, please phone us using the numbers below
Before we can give you a replacement postal vote pack, we will ask for proof of identity.
For replacement requests made before 5pm on Wednesday 3 July, these can be delivered or collected from the appropriate council office listed below.
By law, any replacement requests made between 5pm on Wednesday 3 July and 5pm on Thursday 4 July must be made in person with accepted proof of identity.
We will then issue your postal vote pack to you in person, and you can return it straight away.
***Returning your postal vote pack by hand***
If you receive your postal vote pack and would like to return it by hand rather than by post:
You can return it to the address printed on your pack during office hours until 4 July
You can also return it to a polling station in the same constituency
When you return a postal vote pack by hand, you must fill in a form for the pack to be accepted.
An individual can return their own postal vote and up to five additional postal votes at this election from family, friends or neighbours.
Candidates and campaigners are not allowed to collect or return postal votes on electors’ behalf.
***Why postal votes aren’t sent out as soon as an application comes in***
Candidate nominations closed at 4pm on Friday 7 June, so ballot papers could only be finalised and sent to print after that.
Due to the short notice for the 4 July UK Parliamentary General Election, specialist election printers and Royal Mail have been working at capacity to print and deliver an anticipated 10 million postal votes across the UK.
It’s a complicated process, with personalised postal vote statements matched with the correct ballot paper. There is also a need to produce personalised envelopes and instruction sheets. We also need to carry out crucial security checks which add to the time needed to prepare and send votes out.
Postal votes for overseas electors have early priority because of the extra time it takes for international mail to be delivered and returned.
***Contact details for each constituency in Somerset***
Bridgwater
Phone: 0300 123 2224
Email: electionsnorth@somerset.gov.uk
Address: Council Offices, Bridgwater House, King Square, Bridgwater, TA6 3AR
Frome and East Somerset
Phone: 0300 123 2224
Email: electionseast@somerset.gov.uk
Address: Council Offices, Cannards Grave Road, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5BT
Glastonbury and Somerton
Phone: 0300 123 2224
Email: electionssouth@somerset.gov.uk
Address: Council Offices, Brympton Way, Yeovil, BA20 2HT
Taunton and Wellington
Phone: 0300 123 2224
Email: electionswest@somerset.gov.uk
Address: West Somerset House, Killick Way, Williton, TA4 4QA
Tiverton and Minehead
Phone: 0300 123 2224
Email: electionswest@somerset.gov.uk
Address: West Somerset House, Killick Way, Williton, TA4 4QA
Wells and Mendip Hills
Phone: 0300 123 2224
Email: electionseast@somerset.gov.uk
Address: Council Offices, Cannards Grave Road, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5BT
Yeovil
Phone: 0300 123 2224
Email: electionssouth@somerset.gov.uk
Address: Council Offices, Brympton Way, Yeovil, BA20 2HT