Royal Mail blamed for postal vote chaos as thousands fail to receive ballots ahead of General Election

2 July 2024, 03:34 | Updated: 2 July 2024, 09:12

Royal Mail has been blamed for postal vote chaos
Royal Mail has been blamed for postal vote chaos. Picture: Alamy

By Emma Soteriou

Royal Mail has been blamed for postal vote chaos as thousands of constituents are still yet to receive ballots ahead of the General Election.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Extra staff are said to have been called in as Royal Mail scrambles to get ballots counted ahead of the general election - with them needing to reach counts before polls close at 10pm on Thursday.

It comes after senior election officials warned as early as last year that there would be added pressure due to an increased demand in postal voting.

Voters across more than 90 constituencies have shared their concern over the delays, according to the Telegraph.

There are several factors said to be causing the problem, including a short turnaround time for processing applications, problems with printers and issues with Royal Mail deliveries.

Delays could result in some people not being able to cast their ballot if they are not returned on time or never received.

Kevin Hollinrake
Kevin Hollinrake. Picture: Alamy
  • Join LBC for Britain Decides our election night coverage, starting Thursday at 10pm. Our flagship program will be led by Andrew Marr and Shelagh Fogarty, with The News Agents' Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall providing expert analysis as results unfold. This comprehensive seven-hour show will be broadcast live on LBC, Global Player, TikTok, and YouTube, with a simulcast on LBC News. Stay tuned for real-time updates and insightful commentary throughout this pivotal night in British politics.

Postal affairs minister Kevin Hollinrake hit out at Royal Mail for not being more prepared for the increased demand.

"We urge Royal Mail to do all they can to make sure that postal votes get to the right people at the right time, and time is completely of the essence now," he told the paper.

"There’s a resourcing issue. They have recruited extra people and I welcome that but they’ve got to make sure they’ve got the right number of people to deliver the mail at busy times like this.

"It’s not acceptable it’s sat in sorting offices. It needs to be delivered to people’s houses. So they need to put more people on to do that."

He continued: "I don’t think there’s an issue here other than Royal Mail being competent and fulfilling their obligations under the USO [Universal Service Obligation].

"If people want to choose to vote by post, that’s perfectly fine. In my view, certainly from a logistical point of view, that should be something that’s available to anyone who wants to do that."

Royal Mail has been blamed for delays
Royal Mail has been blamed for delays. Picture: Alamy

Read more: 'It's not over till it's over!' Sunak seizes on England's win to insist there is still hope for Tories

Read more: Labour would work with Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party to tackle small boats crisis, Starmer says

Mr Hollinrake said problems in his own constituency of Thirsk and Malton had been flagged.

Several Cabinet ministers, including Kemi Badenoch, Grant Shapps and James Cleverly, have also had constituents raise concerns over delays.

Mr Cleverly told the paper: "What I would say to people is that, if they haven’t received their postal ballot, if they’re expecting one, to get in contact with their local authority, to really chase this up.

"Everyone should have the right to vote, and people should look to exercise their democratic right."

However, Downing Street has played down the issue, with Rishi Sunak's official spokesman saying on Monday that they were “aware of some concerns” but insisted it would not impact results in marginal seats.

A Royal Mail spokesman said a specialist elections team had been put in place to ensure all ballots were received in time.

"We have no backlog of postal votes," they said. "Where concerns have been raised, we have investigated and confirmed ballot packs are being delivered as soon as they arrive in our network."

A Local Government Association spokesman said: "Councils and electoral staff across the country have been doing their utmost to ensure the smooth running of this election and that people can vote.

"People voting by post are expected to have increased 20 per cent since the 2019 General elections, with more than 1.3 million postal vote applications made between 22 May and 19 June.

"This unprecedented increase adds more pressure to an already complex process and overburdened system.

"We are aware of reports of incidents where delays have happened. The postal vote system could benefit from review and more could be done to support Royal Mail and printers to be ready to deliver elections."

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

File photo dated 19-05-2024 of Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne lifting the Premier League trophy with team-mates.

Kevin De Bruyne to leave Manchester City, as Pep Guardiola calls him 'one of greatest midfielders to play in England'

Stock markets plummeted on Friday

Starmer 'pushing for Trump royal visit this year' as UK bids for US trade deal - after tariffs spark turmoil in markets

Tom Howard

British tourist killed after being struck by boulder on trek through Himalayas

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a car burns following a Russian missile attack that killed more than a dozen people, including children, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, Friday, April 4, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Russia kills 16 people including three children in missile strike on Zelenskyy's home town, with dozens wounded

Travel influencer Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, made an illegal visit to North Sentinel Island

Tourist who left Coke for world's most isolated tribe 'could have wiped them all out' - and police 'can't go collect can'

Club house covered in red paint as members of group Palestine action caused damage to the Trump owned site of Trump Turnberry Golf Club in Scotland.

Police arrest man, 33, and woman, 55, after Donald Trump's Scottish golf course vandalised with red paint

Man, 23, who gouged out pensioner's eyes before beating him to death with his own walking stick locked up indefinitely

Man, 23, who gouged pensioner's eyes out before beating him to death with his own walking stick locked up indefinitely

The FTSE 100 plummeted on Friday

UK stock market plunges amid Trump tariff chaos as FTSE 100 suffers worst trading losses in five years

The scene at Beckenham Place Park

London park evacuated as police search for teenage boy who went missing while swimming in lake

Tommy Robinson pictured last year

Tommy Robinson in bid for freedom with appeal against contempt of court jail sentence after libelling teen refugee

Layla Allen died at the scene

'Cherished beyond words': Family pay tribute to 'shining light' 13-year-old killed in Merseyside house fire

Russell Brand

Russell Brand breaks silence after actor and comedian charged with rape and sexual assaults

White House weighs in to support ‘censored’ anti-abortion activists in Britain

White House looking to support ‘censored’ anti-abortion activists in Britain

Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs charged with two further counts of sex trafficking

XL Bully (FILE)

XL Bully on the loose after drive-by shooting in Sheffield as police issue urgent safety warning

Peter Serafinowicz and Sarah Alexander have split.

Amandaland star and comedian Peter Serafinowicz splits from actress wife after 23 years