Mail checks to ensure postal ballots are on time

Nearly 1,500 postal votes were delivered late in Brighton after the 2023 local elections

Election officials plan to check the Royal Mail delivery office in Sussex on general election day to ensure that no postal votes are left behind.

They aim to prevent a repeat of an issue last year when Royal Mail delivered nearly 1,500 postal votes for local elections at Brighton & Hove City Council the day after polling day.

It led to the council’s deputy returning officer, Michael Appleford, sending a strongly-worded letter to Royal Mail and raising the issue with the Electoral Commission.

Brighton & Hove City Council said it would be "working closely with Royal Mail" and will "continue to do so throughout this election period".

Last month, far fewer votes arrived late for two council ward by-elections and for the Sussex police and crime commissioner (PCC) election.

Of the 27,385 postal votes issued for the PCC election 151 arrived too late to be counted, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A council spokesperson said: “For the general election, a deputy acting returning officer will be visiting the Hove delivery office on polling day to check for any undelivered postal voting packs.”

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