Brexit: Expats denied say in EU referendum due to missing postal votes demand re-run after scandal is revealed

Exclusive: Voters fear thousands of people may have been affected by delays and errors

Anger is growing among countless British expats who say they have been “disenfranchised” in the EU referendum because their postal votes failed to arrive.
Since The Independent revealed the scandal on Thursday, more than 100 people have said they had confirmation that they registered within the Government’s deadline but never received the ballot.
There were demands for an immediate investigation as the number of those known to be affected continued to grow, with some calling for a re-run of the referendum.
Christina Watkins, who lives in Normandy, told The Independent she had spoken to many other British friends in France who did not receive their postal votes.

“This has the potential, I believe, to demand a new referendum if the problem of overseas postal voting for expats is identified,” she said.

“How many eligible voters who have been denied a vote must be identified before the Electoral Commission must act? 
“The potential impact on people like me in a future where we are out of the EU could be catastrophic.”
There were similar stories from British voters in countries including Peru, Iceland, Hong Kong, Turkey, South Africa and New Zealand, all of whom had their registrations for postal voting confirmed.
Michael Shorthouse, who did not receive his postal vote in the US, said the result of the referendum should be challenged, while another angry voter said the situation “makes a farce of the outcome of the EU referendum”.
“I accept that this may be difficult…but at least morally, I would maintain time should at least be given to calls for a re-run, given the impact any mass-disenfranchisement could have had on the narrow margin of the result,” he added.

A Cardiff University professor, Bill Bell, said there should be a debate if the number of missing votes proves to be greater than the 1.3 million margin that gave the Leave campaign victory by 52 per cent to 48 per cent.
The majority of voters contacting The Independent said they had received no documents at all, but some said they did not arrive until shortly before the EU referendum or on the day of the vote itself, making it impossible to return them in time.
Jackie Donkin, who lives in Australia, said she received her postal vote on 23 June – complete with instructions to return it by 10pm on the same day.
“I am furious and disenfranchised,” she said. “In this day of modern communications why is it not possible to enable a vote by means other than an unreliable postal system and, what is more, send out the ballot so late that it is clear that it is not going to be possible to return it by the deadline?”
Many voters said they had been told postal errors were to blame, although several said they had never had issues with the service in their respective countries and a man who contacted Iceland Post was told they had no record of the package.
Delays were confirmed by Castle Point Borough Council in Essex, which issued a letter to expats on 9 June saying it re-issued postal packs after being told those handed to Royal Mail on 25 May had not yet been delivered.

A letter sent to a British voter living abroad who did not receive a postal vote for the EU referendum (Supplied)
Sarah Newton said she was told by electoral officials at Kirklees Council in Yorkshire that the papers had not been sent out because of an unspecified “clerical error”.
“I wonder how many other British expats have been disenfranchised in this way?” she asked.
“Presumably many of them would have voted Remain, concerned as they probably are for their own legal status in the country where they live.” 
In another mistake, one man found out his postal vote had been accidentally sent to an address in Australia, rather than his home in Austria.
Anna Szkalinska, who received her postal vote on polling day in Johannesburg, suggested that expats be allowed to vote in British consulates to avoid the problem in the future.
Many of those affected said they wanted to vote Remain, although many intended to back Leave and a man living in Australia said the vast majority of his acquaintances were pro-Brexit.

‘Leave’ votes piled up on the counting tables in Cardiff on referendum night (Rex)
Sally Brimblecombe said council responsible for her vote, in Suffolk, blamed the error on the French postal system but raised the prospect of a “conspiracy” against pro-EU expats.
“I feel defeated, but thought my one vote would not make much difference in the end,” she added. “If, as I now hear, this has affected many people living abroad in the EU, then I want to join them to be heard.”
Karen and Paul Mehrlich, who live in France, believed the disappearances were “suspicious”.
“It would be interesting to know how many expat postal votes were allegedly sent out and how many returned,” the couple said in an email.
Jack Bownes, an Exeter University student on a year abroad in Paris, said that three out of seven of the English friends he met on Thursday evening had the same problem.
“Regardless of which way I was voting, and whether I am pleased or disappointed with the result, I am hugely upset that I wasn't able to have a say and exercise one of my basic human rights in what is an historic referendum,” he added.

Anti-Brexit demonstrators outside the Houses of Parliament (EPA)
“It seems like a lot of postal votes didn't come through. It's simply not fair.”
And the issue is not confined to expats – several British residents have also contacted The Independent. A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission said it would investigate the issue. “We are aware of the complaints from some overseas voters that they did not receive their postal votes ahead of the referendum,” she added.
“We will be looking into this as part of our statutory report on the referendum.”
She did not comment on individual cases or explain what had happened to the missing votes.
Did your postal vote fail to arrive? Let us know by emailing lizzie.dearden@independent.co.uk.


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-disenfranchised-expats-denied-eu-referendum-missing-postal-votes-demand-re-run-hundreds-a7103066.html               









Will depend how many this affected as to whether it will be a problem or not.

Your flogging a dead horse, man up and accept you lost.

You will be losing the Labour party shortly as well.

Desperate...

Nicko, not a chance we will lose the Labour party, and if people were not given the chance to vote who should have been, that's not whining, that's a lack of democracy and is being investigated by the Electorial Commission.

yes and if its greater than the margin then fiar enough BUT

I recon this is just more lefty "bottom of barrel scraping"

sheer desperation

as for labour....MR Grey has to survive that no confidence vote yet.......

if he doesnt they are screwed....and if he does they are doubly screwed....

sassy waffles about a socialist agenda...god help us all....but they aint naking very public what that means

dont forget socilist in labour terms means same old same old...just with a different spin..

tories "yah peasants...we getting rich on your backs ha ha ha "
labour " yeah I know we getting rich on your backs...but its for your own good...."

lets face it.....have you ever seen a "poor" labour MP?

sassy wrote:Exclusive: Voters fear thousands of people may have been affected by delays and errors

Anger is growing among countless British expats who say they have been “disenfranchised” in the EU referendum because their postal votes failed to arrive.
Since The Independent revealed the scandal on Thursday, more than 100 people have said they had confirmation that they registered within the Government’s deadline but never received the ballot.
There were demands for an immediate investigation as the number of those known to be affected continued to grow, with some calling for a re-run of the referendum.
Christina Watkins, who lives in Normandy, told The Independent she had spoken to many other British friends in France who did not receive their postal votes.

“This has the potential, I believe, to demand a new referendum if the problem of overseas postal voting for expats is identified,” she said.

“How many eligible voters who have been denied a vote must be identified before the Electoral Commission must act? 
“The potential impact on people like me in a future where we are out of the EU could be catastrophic.”
There were similar stories from British voters in countries including Peru, Iceland, Hong Kong, Turkey, South Africa and New Zealand, all of whom had their registrations for postal voting confirmed.
Michael Shorthouse, who did not receive his postal vote in the US, said the result of the referendum should be challenged, while another angry voter said the situation “makes a farce of the outcome of the EU referendum”.
“I accept that this may be difficult…but at least morally, I would maintain time should at least be given to calls for a re-run, given the impact any mass-disenfranchisement could have had on the narrow margin of the result,” he added.

A Cardiff University professor, Bill Bell, said there should be a debate if the number of missing votes proves to be greater than the 1.3 million margin that gave the Leave campaign victory by 52 per cent to 48 per cent.
The majority of voters contacting The Independent said they had received no documents at all, but some said they did not arrive until shortly before the EU referendum or on the day of the vote itself, making it impossible to return them in time.
Jackie Donkin, who lives in Australia, said she received her postal vote on 23 June – complete with instructions to return it by 10pm on the same day.
“I am furious and disenfranchised,” she said. “In this day of modern communications why is it not possible to enable a vote by means other than an unreliable postal system and, what is more, send out the ballot so late that it is clear that it is not going to be possible to return it by the deadline?”
Many voters said they had been told postal errors were to blame, although several said they had never had issues with the service in their respective countries and a man who contacted Iceland Post was told they had no record of the package.
Delays were confirmed by Castle Point Borough Council in Essex, which issued a letter to expats on 9 June saying it re-issued postal packs after being told those handed to Royal Mail on 25 May had not yet been delivered.

A letter sent to a British voter living abroad who did not receive a postal vote for the EU referendum (Supplied)
Sarah Newton said she was told by electoral officials at Kirklees Council in Yorkshire that the papers had not been sent out because of an unspecified “clerical error”.
“I wonder how many other British expats have been disenfranchised in this way?” she asked.
“Presumably many of them would have voted Remain, concerned as they probably are for their own legal status in the country where they live.” 
In another mistake, one man found out his postal vote had been accidentally sent to an address in Australia, rather than his home in Austria.
Anna Szkalinska, who received her postal vote on polling day in Johannesburg, suggested that expats be allowed to vote in British consulates to avoid the problem in the future.
Many of those affected said they wanted to vote Remain, although many intended to back Leave and a man living in Australia said the vast majority of his acquaintances were pro-Brexit.

‘Leave’ votes piled up on the counting tables in Cardiff on referendum night (Rex)
Sally Brimblecombe said council responsible for her vote, in Suffolk, blamed the error on the French postal system but raised the prospect of a “conspiracy” against pro-EU expats.
“I feel defeated, but thought my one vote would not make much difference in the end,” she added. “If, as I now hear, this has affected many people living abroad in the EU, then I want to join them to be heard.”
Karen and Paul Mehrlich, who live in France, believed the disappearances were “suspicious”.
“It would be interesting to know how many expat postal votes were allegedly sent out and how many returned,” the couple said in an email.
Jack Bownes, an Exeter University student on a year abroad in Paris, said that three out of seven of the English friends he met on Thursday evening had the same problem.
“Regardless of which way I was voting, and whether I am pleased or disappointed with the result, I am hugely upset that I wasn't able to have a say and exercise one of my basic human rights in what is an historic referendum,” he added.

Anti-Brexit demonstrators outside the Houses of Parliament (EPA)
“It seems like a lot of postal votes didn't come through. It's simply not fair.”
And the issue is not confined to expats – several British residents have also contacted The Independent. A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission said it would investigate the issue. “We are aware of the complaints from some overseas voters that they did not receive their postal votes ahead of the referendum,” she added.
“We will be looking into this as part of our statutory report on the referendum.”
She did not comment on individual cases or explain what had happened to the missing votes.
Did your postal vote fail to arrive? Let us know by emailing lizzie.dearden@independent.co.uk.


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-disenfranchised-expats-denied-eu-referendum-missing-postal-votes-demand-re-run-hundreds-a7103066.html               









Will depend how many this affected as to whether it will be a problem or not.

my postal vote was done in time thank you very much

nicko wrote:Your flogging a dead horse,   man up and accept you lost.

You will be losing the Labour party shortly as well.

you are a joker, she can never accept reality

I think a full investigation should happen into how many eu and other foreign nationals got to vote...

sassy wrote:Nicko, not a chance we will lose the Labour party, and if people were not given the chance to vote who should have been, that's not whining, that's a lack of democracy and is being investigated by the Electorial Commission.

weren't you there in may 2015, you lost the labour party then and joy of joys decided to elect a buffoon to be leader to ensure you remain unelectable. I am happy to say I did my bit to ensure #jihadijez became leader and it was the best £9 I ever spent

Tommy Monk wrote:I think a full investigation should happen into how many eu and other foreign nationals got to vote...

shhh that might spoil the narrative

It will be interesting to see just WHERE those papers went missing....I wonder how many were intercepted deliberately whilst passing through EU countries postal systems???
that is just how desperate the faceless masters are....

Lord Foul wrote:It will be interesting to see just WHERE those papers went missing....I wonder how many were intercepted deliberately whilst passing through EU countries postal systems???
that is just how desperate the faceless masters are....

its abroad, the postal services in large parts of the world are dire. the law does not allow enough time for them to be sent and arrive and be sent back. But it has always been that way. If you live in one of those places get a proxy in the UK. It is easy to set up and you can even check to see if your signed vote has arrived.