WHILE the substance of your story and editorial are fair comment I feel the headline 'Postal Vote Chaos' might lead your readers to assume that we did not adequately plan our response to the likely demand, and I hope the following will both explain the situation in Blackburn with Darwen, and give further information about the next stages:

The new right to vote by post, as the council anticipated, has proved to be very popular with local people. About 25,000 applications for postal votes for the Local and General Elections were received by the deadline of May 30. These have all been processed on time and the last of the postal votes were dispatched by first class post by Saturday June 3. Most people received their postal votes days before this."

I took on extra staff to make sure that the demand for postal votes from local residents could be met. There was also an elections telephone hotline and an e mail address to give local residents information and advice on voting was set up. Leaflets giving advice and information on voting have also been distributed across the borough.

What some people don't realise is that we can't send the postal votes out until the ballot papers have been printed, which can only be done after the last day for nomination of candidates. We only received the ballot papers for the Parliamentary election on Tuesday May 29 and so it has been a massive task. In future, with most of the requests we have had being for permanent postal votes, we will know better the numbers involved and won't need to spend time imputing the new applications. We did have a problem this time in that the letter/application form I sent out to all residents did not reach the more remote parts of the borough until later in the week in the aftermath of the postal strike, and some applications were received well after the deadline.

Those people who have applied, but whose application arrived to late are being advised by letter sent on Friday. They will still be able to vote in person at the polling station. I would advise anyone with a postal vote, who is concerned about it reaching me in time as follows:

If you have a postal vote you can make sure it will count by: Sending it back in good time through the post. The voting envelope is freepost, first class. Royal Mail have guaranteed that they will make an extra special delivery of ballot papers to Election Returning Officers on election night, before the votes are counted.

OR

Delivering your postal vote and the declaration of identify in its envelope by hand to the Barlow Institute, Edgworth, or Blackburn or Darwen Town Halls on any date and at any time before 10pm on Thursday June 7. You can either hand it in at reception during opening hours, or post it through the Barlow Institute or Town Hall letter boxes. Remember that if you have a postal vote for both the Local and General Election you will have two ballot papers, two declarations of identity and two envelopes to deliver.

OR

Delivering your postal vote and the declaration of identity in its envelope by hand to a polling station in the ward where you live on Election Day itself, Thursday June 7 between 7am and 10pm.

For information or assistance please call the Elections Hotline on 01254 585920 or e mail voting@blackburn.gov.uk

PHIL WATSON, Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer, Blackburn with Darwen Council, Acting Returning Officer

Blackburn Parliamentary Constituency