Some of our polling cards have gone missing but council assures people they can still vote

By John Elworthy

POLLING cards have not been delivered to parts of Fenland .

The problem was first raised by a Cambs Times/Wisbech Standard reader who contacted this paper last night.

The correspondent, who has asked to remain anonymous, said he contacted Fenland District Council (who handle election arrangements) yesterday as he had not received his polling card.

"I was then informed that a ' couple ' of batches of polling cards had gone missing," he said.

"It would be interesting to know how these have gone missing and who is to blame! "Is it FDC or Royal Mail?

"Whoever is responsible for this it makes me wonder how in such an important and potentially pivotal election this is allowed to happen and the potential impact this could have.

"Yes I can still vote without a polling card but potentially anybody could walk in with my polling card and vote! What a disgrace."

A Fenland Council spokesman confirmed there had been an issue over polling cards but thought it was confined to the Tydd areas of Wisbech.

However March Mayor John West said he had not received a polling card and many others in North March were also missing election cards.

Another reader from Whittlesey also reported he had not received a polling card, and a further reader from Whittlesey also called to say they had not received a polling card.

The council spokesman said: "Basically we are aware there is an issue relating to polling cards in one particular area where people have not received their polling cards.

"What we will be doing conducting a proper full investigation immediately after today's election," he said.

The spokesman added: "We can assure all voters, who are entitled to vote, they still have the right to vote."

Tonight the father of a student at the Isle College, Wisbech, said his daughter had returned home to say 17 year-olds on the campus had received polling cards and were intending to vote tonight. The father, who declined to give his name, said he would be talking to the "appropriate authorities" about it.

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