This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36210786
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Election day: Turned-away Barnet voters urged to return | Election day: Turned-away Barnet voters urged to return |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Voters turned away from polling stations in Barnet have been urged to return or vote by proxy by 17:00 BST. | |
| Barnet Council has apologised to anyone who was unable to vote because their name was missing from the polling list. | |
| It confirmed all 155 polling stations had been affected but said new registers had since been delivered. | |
| London is voting for a new mayor and the London Assembly, as voters go to the polls in a range of local and national elections across the UK. | London is voting for a new mayor and the London Assembly, as voters go to the polls in a range of local and national elections across the UK. |
| In a sign of how extensive the problems were, staff at one station said that of the first 30 voters to show up, only three were on the register. The rest were told to come back later. | In a sign of how extensive the problems were, staff at one station said that of the first 30 voters to show up, only three were on the register. The rest were told to come back later. |
| 'Farce' | |
| Staff were told a "printing error" was to blame. The council said it was unable to confirm how many of the 236,196 people registered to vote had been affected by its mistake. | |
| Black cab driver Adam Barnett said the mix-up meant he would have to go back to the polling station for the third time in one day to cast his vote. | |
| He said he was first turned away at 07:00 BST from the polling station in Bells Hill. | |
| "I was one of a number of people who had turned up first thing and couldn't vote at 7:00. They still hadn't got the updated list when I went back a second time after 10. It's just a farce," he said. | |
| A Barnet Council spokesperson said: "Anyone who attended a polling station in Barnet this morning, and was turned away and therefore could not vote, and was unable to return due to work reasons, may be able to use an emergency proxy vote." | A Barnet Council spokesperson said: "Anyone who attended a polling station in Barnet this morning, and was turned away and therefore could not vote, and was unable to return due to work reasons, may be able to use an emergency proxy vote." |
| They may be able to nominate the emergency proxy vote if the correct form is completed, counter-signed and emailed to council offices by the 17:00 deadline. | |
| A nominee can then go to the station on their behalf. | A nominee can then go to the station on their behalf. |
| A council spokeswoman said it was reviewing why the wrong registers were issued. | A council spokeswoman said it was reviewing why the wrong registers were issued. |
| "All the updated electoral registers are now in place and people can vote as normal," she said. | "All the updated electoral registers are now in place and people can vote as normal," she said. |
| "If [voters] don't have their polling cards, that's fine." | "If [voters] don't have their polling cards, that's fine." |
| Voter David Fraser was among those turned away. "I'm now not going to be able to vote," he said. "I don't have time to go back." | |
| Another voter, in Golders Green, told the BBC he was turned away from a station in Oakfields Road, Temple Fortune. | Another voter, in Golders Green, told the BBC he was turned away from a station in Oakfields Road, Temple Fortune. |
| 'Democratic right' | 'Democratic right' |
| He said: "I got up early so that I could get to the polling station at 08:00 before work. | He said: "I got up early so that I could get to the polling station at 08:00 before work. |
| "But when I got there, they said my name is not on the list and that there was a problem. | "But when I got there, they said my name is not on the list and that there was a problem. |
| "I am so disappointed. I like voting as it is the right thing to do and it is a democratic right." | "I am so disappointed. I like voting as it is the right thing to do and it is a democratic right." |
| Others took to Twitter to complain. | Others took to Twitter to complain. |
| "Frustration turning to real anger," Neil Maiden said. "After 35 minutes, only five people have been able to vote. What are the wider implications?" | |
| The Electoral Commission, an independent body that sets standards for running elections, said the only provision for re-running an election in Barnett was if the result was challenged by a constituent after voting had closed. | |
| It said in that instance the legal challenge had to be raised with the Royal Courts of Justice within 21 days. | |
| A spokesman for the commission said: "Barnet has apologised for its error and the matter was resolved quite quickly. We are supporting them in communicating the information that people still have time to go back and vote if they were unable to this morning." | |
| Elections are also taking place for the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly of Wales, the Northern Ireland Assembly and for 124 councils in England. | |
| Mayors will be elected in London, Bristol, Liverpool and Salford, with UK parliamentary by-elections held in Ogmore in Mid Glamorgan and Sheffield Brightside. | |
| Police and crime commissioners are also being elected in England and Wales. |