Thursday, 4th June 2009

The Electoral Commission has issued a direct instruction to polling stations across the nation that voters should be handed their ballot papers completely unfolded for today's Euro elections.

The order comes after confusion in some of parts of the country about folded papers that seemingly omitted the UK Independence Party from the list as the bottom section of the ballot was fold firmly flat.

"This problem is more widespread than we first thought," said UKIP Leader Nigel Farage. "It seems that many of the ballot papers were pre-folded and flattened which means that when it is unfolded, the bottom flap, which bears the UK Independence Party entry, basically has to be peeled off."

Mr Farage alerted the Electoral Commission, which is responsible for handling the Euro elections, and a statement was issued to all returning officers asking them to ensure that voters were handed their ballot papers unfolded.

The full letter statement is here:

Circular EC15/2009
Folding of ballot papers in the polling station

4 June 2009

For the attention of:

The Returning Officer
Local Returning Officers in Great Britain
County, district, metropolitan borough and London borough authorities in England
Unitary authorities in England and Wales
The Regional Returning Officer
Local counting areas in Great Britain
The Acting Returning Officer
Parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales
The Returning Officer
Parliamentary constituencies in Scotland

   
For the information of:
   
The Electoral Registration Officer
District, metropolitan borough and London borough authorities in England
Unitary authorities in England and Wales
Unitary authorities and joint boards in Scotland

The Chief Electoral Officer
Northern Ireland

Purpose

1. The Commission has been made aware of concerns that, due to the size of the European Parliamentary election ballot paper, the folding of the ballot paper in polling stations prior to issue to electors is causing some confusion and may be preventing electors from being able to see all parties and individual candidates on the ballot paper.

2. This circular gives the Commission’s guidance on recommended action to address this concern.

Guidance

3. The Commission recommends that all Local Returning Officers issue instructions to their polling station staff as far as possible to instruct them to take particular care in issuing the European Parliamentary election ballot paper to voters unfolded so that all parties and individual candidates on the paper can be seen.

4. Even if polling staff do fold the paper prior to issuing it to voters (for example, in order to aid them in detaching it from the book of ballot papers or to show voters that they should fold their ballot paper prior to placing it in the ballot box), they should then open it out before handing it to the voter.

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