Sandra Gidley calls for Investigation into Lost Postal Votes

5.20.21pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 16th May 2007

Romsey MP Sandra Gidley has called for a full investigation into 957 postal votes that were temporarily lost, and subsequently not counted, in the recent May 3rd Parish, Town and Test Valley Borough elections.

In an election that saw increased turn outs in all but one ward across Test Valley, the second serious mistake with postal votes calls the whole postal vote system into question.

Royal Mail delivered the postal votes to an as yet un-named company rather than to Beech Hurst Council Offices in Andover. The mistake was not discovered until May 11th, by which point the results had been announced. It is not known how this mistake occurred or why it took so long for the company involved to inform Test Valley Borough Council.

"Everyone in Test Valley must have full confidence that their votes will count and sadly this is not the case with the current postal voting set up. The increased turn out across Test Valley is a huge achievement for those who fought and campaigned so hard in these elections, and for the people of Test Valley. I think we all need to know the details of exactly what went wrong so that we can vote with confidence in the future."

Sandra Gidley MP

The Ballot papers cannot be opened without a court order. It is impossible to ascertain the effect they may have had on the recent election result, although counting agents from the May 4th Romsey count have pointed out that indications were that Liberal Democrats had taken around 58% of the postal vote for in Abbey ward in Romsey with the Conservatives trailing considerably at around 32% (the remainder going to Labour or being spoiled).

Notes for Editors

There was an overall increase in turnout of 5.44% (calculated against 2003 Borough elections not including uncontested elections)

The only seat with a decreased turnout was Chilworth, Nursling and Rownhams ward, which was down by -0.53%. (Borough Elections 2003 and 2007)

The Election count for Southern areas of the Borough was held in Crossfield Hall Romsey, the northern wards of the Borough were counted in the Main Hall of Andover Leisure Centre.