Postal vote chaos: ‘This method should be the exception, not the norm’

With only two days to go before the country heads to the polls, voters in more than 90 constituencies have raised concerns about their ballots failing to arrive.

Royal Mail has since blamed delays to postal votes on Rishi Sunak’s decision to call a snap election.

Meanwhile Kevin Hollinrake, the postal affairs minister, criticised Royal Mail for not recruiting “the right number of people” to deliver postal votes.

The delay risks eligible voters not being able to cast their ballot on July 4.

Telegraph readers have been writing in sharing their own experiences with missing or late ballot papers.

‘Post Office is broken’

Reader Nicholas Smith, in Australia, only received their postal vote on Tuesday.

Nicholas shares: “I specifically asked if there would be time – and they said absolutely. Luckily, my vote is in the People’s Republic of Greenwich so no sensible vote will make a difference. But that’s not the point.”

Also in Australia, reader Bobby Grant explains how he “applied for my postal vote as an overseas voter as soon as the election was called. It still hasn’t turned up and now I’ve missed the chance to vote. I managed to get it okay in 2019 and returned in time. I wonder how many have been disenfranchised this time?”

John Wilding shared a similar story: “My wife and I live in Spain and my postal vote arrived yesterday after I complained bitterly to the council. I sent it back promptly, but I know it won’t get there.

“We use emails and secure portals for legal matters here in Spain. The UK government is so backward. Everyone knows the Post Office is broken.”

In France, Telegraph reader Candace Campbell said: “I still haven’t received my postal ballot despite confirmation of it being sent many days ago. Our postal service here is excellent, the French post office here is looking for UK postal votes to deliver them super fast. But it is now too late. Even if it arrived today DHL wouldn’t get it back in time.

“So much for first-time voting for those of us out of the UK.”

‘Voting should be in person’

However, others question the need for postal voting in the first place, arguing it “should be the exception rather than the norm”.

Reader Peter Bergas asked: “Can anyone explain why we need to have a postal vote in the first place? Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm and are usually a quick walk from most homes. My post box is further than my polling station and given that everyone is pretending to work from home these days, the excuse that you will be at work somewhere miles away doesn’t cut it.”

John Harris echoes this sentiment, arguing that “postal votes have always been an opportunity for corruption and now we can add sheer blobby incompetence to the list of problems they cause.

“Quite honestly, the only people who should qualify for postal votes are the elderly and infirm. But I’m not holding my breath waiting for the law to be changed.”

Similarly, reader Patrick Cook claims “postal votes should be reserved for only those who can’t get to vote on the day. Something as important as voting should be done in person where humanly possible”.

Other readers have suggested different solutions.

James Bulloch called for online voting: “Given that a huge number of us safely do our banking, taxes, passports, driving licences and many other matters digitally, how difficult would it be for the government portal to allow for registration for online voting?

“I worked with a cybersecurity company for 10 years, and have first-hand experience of the anti-fraud checks that are possible these days, so now the immediate fears of hacking are overdone.

“Surely it’s time for a big rethink on postal votes? Not everyone can conduct their affairs online, but it’s a small and ever-diminishing minority.”