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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/22/european-elections-overseas-brits-complain-absent-ballot-papers
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| European elections: overseas Brits complain of missing ballot papers | European elections: overseas Brits complain of missing ballot papers |
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| The government is facing fresh questions over postal votes after multiple complaints from Britons overseas that they did not receive their ballot papers in time for the European Parliament elections. | The government is facing fresh questions over postal votes after multiple complaints from Britons overseas that they did not receive their ballot papers in time for the European Parliament elections. |
| On the eve of the election, some voters have said they have not received their ballot paper at all, while others have said they have only received their papers this week making it virtually impossible for their vote to be registered in time by return post. | On the eve of the election, some voters have said they have not received their ballot paper at all, while others have said they have only received their papers this week making it virtually impossible for their vote to be registered in time by return post. |
| “My ballot paper arrives for the European elections today,” said science teacher Marc Lewandowski, who lives in Melbourne and received his ballot paper on Monday. | “My ballot paper arrives for the European elections today,” said science teacher Marc Lewandowski, who lives in Melbourne and received his ballot paper on Monday. |
| “[It] needs to be back in the UK in three days time to be counted. This is bullshit,” he said. | “[It] needs to be back in the UK in three days time to be counted. This is bullshit,” he said. |
| So my ballot paper arrives for the European elections @ElectoralCommUK today and needs to be back in the UK in 3 days time to be counted! This is bullshit. It happened in the EU referendum where my vote was essentially silenced because it never arrived in time. 1/n | So my ballot paper arrives for the European elections @ElectoralCommUK today and needs to be back in the UK in 3 days time to be counted! This is bullshit. It happened in the EU referendum where my vote was essentially silenced because it never arrived in time. 1/n |
| British voters across Europe have also complained of delays with one voter discovering her ballot paper was routed through the Netherlands. | British voters across Europe have also complained of delays with one voter discovering her ballot paper was routed through the Netherlands. |
| Ann Bone, who lives in France, received her postal vote from Calderdale council on Friday – two weeks after she was told it was posted – while her husband had yet to receive his ballot paper from Shropshire. | Ann Bone, who lives in France, received her postal vote from Calderdale council on Friday – two weeks after she was told it was posted – while her husband had yet to receive his ballot paper from Shropshire. |
| She questioned whether the council had used a third party for bulk mail after noting a franking sticker from PostNL placed over the Royal Mail postage mark and the company name Adare SEC printed on the envelope. | She questioned whether the council had used a third party for bulk mail after noting a franking sticker from PostNL placed over the Royal Mail postage mark and the company name Adare SEC printed on the envelope. |
| “The bottom line is that British citizens abroad have been denied a extremely politically sensitive vote,” she said. | “The bottom line is that British citizens abroad have been denied a extremely politically sensitive vote,” she said. |
| Another Briton said he considered this election so important that he considered flying back to the UK to vote. | Another Briton said he considered this election so important that he considered flying back to the UK to vote. |
| “I’d very much like my vote to be counted, but I couldn’t justify the expense,” said James Watson, a translator who lives in the Netherlands. | “I’d very much like my vote to be counted, but I couldn’t justify the expense,” said James Watson, a translator who lives in the Netherlands. |
| The concerns were raised after campaigners for EU citizens living in the UK made an official complaint to the Electoral Commission complaining their voting rights were being denied. | The concerns were raised after campaigners for EU citizens living in the UK made an official complaint to the Electoral Commission complaining their voting rights were being denied. |
| Art director Simon Wilder who lives in Paris said he received a polling card, but not the ballot paper while former solider Tony Smith who was relying on a proxy vote says nothing has yet arrived at his friend’s house in Gosport, Hampshire. | Art director Simon Wilder who lives in Paris said he received a polling card, but not the ballot paper while former solider Tony Smith who was relying on a proxy vote says nothing has yet arrived at his friend’s house in Gosport, Hampshire. |
| The UK elects 73 members (MEPs) to the European parliament, which is made up of 751 MEPs elected by the 28 member states of the EU. The UK is split into 12 European electoral regions, and each region is represented by between three and 10 MEPs. | |
| The constituencies are: | |
| South East England (10 MEPs) | |
| London (8) | |
| North West England (8) | |
| East of England (7) | |
| West Midlands (7) | |
| South West England (including Gibraltar) (6) | |
| Yorkshire and the Humber (6) | |
| Scotland (6) | |
| East Midlands (5) | |
| Wales (4) | |
| North East England (3) | |
| Northern Ireland (3) | |
| You can find out who is standing for election in your area here. Current polling suggests that support for the Conservatives has slumped to 11%, less than a third of what the Nigel Farage’s new Brexit party is polling. | |
| In England, Scotland and Wales, voters can choose to vote for one party or individual. The ballot paper lists the parties standing with the names of their potential MEPs, as well as any individuals who are standing as independent candidates. The D’Hondt method of proportional representation is used to calculate how many seats each party or individual receives. | |
| In Northern Ireland, the single transferable vote method is used, where each voter ranks candidates in order of preference, marking 1 beside their most preferred candidate, 2 beside their second choice, and so on. These votes are then used to allocate Northern Ireland’s three MEPs. | |
| Those elected as MEPs on 23 May will represent the UK when the new European parliament assembles on 1 July, until such time as the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union. | |
| “After 40 years service to the crown I find myself unable to live in the country I served and now unable to vote,” said Smith. | “After 40 years service to the crown I find myself unable to live in the country I served and now unable to vote,” said Smith. |
| He lives on a boat in the Mediterranean, unable to afford accommodation after a medical discharge from the army in 2016 and is angry he cannot cast a vote. | He lives on a boat in the Mediterranean, unable to afford accommodation after a medical discharge from the army in 2016 and is angry he cannot cast a vote. |
| Islington council offered profuse apologies to Seb Emina, who lives in Paris, after he complained on several occasions that his ballot paper had not arrived. | Islington council offered profuse apologies to Seb Emina, who lives in Paris, after he complained on several occasions that his ballot paper had not arrived. |
| Still haven't received my postal ballot from @IslingtonBC so looks like I don't get a say tomorrow https://t.co/nGskQNmJ5k | Still haven't received my postal ballot from @IslingtonBC so looks like I don't get a say tomorrow https://t.co/nGskQNmJ5k |
| The electoral commission says that anecdotal evidence of delays in ballot papers arriving reinforces the concern it has raised in the past about postal votes. | The electoral commission says that anecdotal evidence of delays in ballot papers arriving reinforces the concern it has raised in the past about postal votes. |
| Ballot papers are sent out by local authorities and the regulator has no authority to instruct them when to send out their paperwork. | Ballot papers are sent out by local authorities and the regulator has no authority to instruct them when to send out their paperwork. |
| When it did have the authority, in the 2016 EU referendum, it was able to stipulate that councils should prioritise overseas voters and get their ballot papers out first. | When it did have the authority, in the 2016 EU referendum, it was able to stipulate that councils should prioritise overseas voters and get their ballot papers out first. |
| “Our guidance is councils should prioritise and many do, but we don’t have any involvement on when the ballot papers are sent out. | “Our guidance is councils should prioritise and many do, but we don’t have any involvement on when the ballot papers are sent out. |
| “We have said that that the government may want to look at this in the past,” said a spokesman. | “We have said that that the government may want to look at this in the past,” said a spokesman. |
| Several overseas voters who contacted the Guardian in response to a call out, said they had received their ballot papers on time and reported no issues. | Several overseas voters who contacted the Guardian in response to a call out, said they had received their ballot papers on time and reported no issues. |
| Calderdale council’s cief executive and local returning officer, Robin Tuddenham promised to investigate the delays. He said it had sent postal vote packs out on 2 May to overseas voters and a number had already been returned. | |
| “We have received three complaints from electors overseas, and these will be thoroughly investigated,” he said. | |
| Islington council has been contacted for comment. | |
| Adare told the BBC that all ballots were posted “in line with the election and council timetables” and that they had assessed “the best route through other European countries before the mail arrives at the final destination”. | Adare told the BBC that all ballots were posted “in line with the election and council timetables” and that they had assessed “the best route through other European countries before the mail arrives at the final destination”. |
| A bill recommending reform to allow Britons who have lived overseas for more than 15 yearsto vote is currently going through parliament with recommendations by the Electoral Commission to reform postal voting. | |
| Last year it said the government should consider allowing voting at embassies and consulates or the ability to download and print postal ballot papers. | |
| European parliamentary elections 2019 | European parliamentary elections 2019 |
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