Letter: Postal vote system’s flaws exposed

Tuesday 11th May 2010, 8:00AM BST.

Counting the votes at Welshpool Town Hall

Letter: At the beginning of April I applied for a postal voting form for my mother, who is 93 years old and lives with me.

About seven days later we received the form but unfortunately, and unforgivably in the circumstances, it had the name and address of a gentleman living in Dawley.

I phoned Telford and Wrekin Electoral Office, who asked me to destroy that form and promised to send another one, properly addressed to my mother.

We waited another seven days but no form arrived.

Again I phoned Telford and Wrekin and I was now told that it was too late to send a postal vote but I could apply for an emergency proxy vote.

The form arrived, we filled it in and returned it to the electoral office.

Again, there was no response.

On election day morning I phoned again only to be told that as my form had been sent in after April 27 I should have included a medical certificate, which I had not been told originally.

Fortunately my mother is a determined 93 year old.

We were able to get her to the polling station and she managed to cast her democratic vote, but I was on hand to help.

What about the vast numbers of people who could not have made it to the polling station?

So much for democracy, Telford and Wrekin.

It really was very disappointing.

Wendy Corbett

Wellington

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