Postal vote - anyone else had problems with it?

[Motnight]

Just wondering if I have been unlucky. I applied for a postal vote well before the deadline. I thought that I was going to be on holiday. In spite of me chasing it 3 times I never received the necessary documents.

I am actually at home today so have been able to go and collect a ballot from the town hall and vote there and then. But if I had been away I would have just not been able to vote. Plus I only knew what to do as a friend works for the council and advised me. When I phoned the council this morning they initially said that I had just wouldn't be able to vote.

I am wondering if I was just really unlucky or if this is happening a lot?

Yes, it's happening rather more this time round, and some areas have been quite badly affected.

Many councils seem to send out their postal vote packs in 2 waves - first one to all those registered for one anyhow, and a second one to those who applied closer to the deadline (reason seems to be making a start on getting them prepared and sent out nice and early, rather than having to do them all in one go after the cut off). For example, Edinburgh (according to BBC) had an unpublicised internal cut off on 7 June, when they did the first wave, but if you registered between then and the 19 June final day, then you were in the second wave and as the school holidays have started, some did not arrive in time for recipients to vote before their departure.

There have been issues in other areas to. Royal Mail delivery delays are also said to be contributing (but RM deny this). Many MSM outlets are reporting on the problems.

Areas which are badly affected, and which have a tight result, could see legal challenges.