Just 30 postal votes reissued out of 20,000 in Gwent Senedd constituency

Twm Owen – Local democracy reporter

More than 20,000 postal votes have been issued across one Senedd constituency in Gwent with only around 30 having had to be resent.

Concerns over postal votes have been raised in the final days leading to today’s Senedd election after Cardiff council said more than 1,300 applicants hadn’t received their ballot papers.

Torfaen Borough Council issued a reminder a day before the Thursday, May 7 poll that postal votes can, if necessary, be handed in to any polling station on election day or even posted up until 10pm this evening when polls close.

It stated on social media: “The Senedd Election will be held on Thursday May 7. If you receive your postal vote this week, you can return it by post until 10pm on Thursday – or you can hand it into your nearest polling station.”

Cwmbran resident Ellis Rees said he had become concerned that his postal vote hadn’t arrived by Friday, April 24 which prompted him to contact the council the following week and the ballot still hadn’t arrived by Friday, May 1 which was less than a week until polling day.

As a result the 38-year-old carpenter said he agreed to go to the Civic Centre in Pontypool to collect his ballot paper.

“I elected to have a postal vote as I’m going to be away but to have to collect it is a bit of a peculiar thing. I won’t be doing a postal vote again, it has made me quite anxious to be honest.”

Torfaen has been paired with Monmouthshire to create one of 16 super constituencies across Wales which will each elect six Senedd Members to the expanded Welsh Parliament that is increasing from 60 to 96 members.

In response a spokesman, on behalf of the joint constituency, said: “The number of postal votes that have needed to be re-issued across the constituency are consistent with previous elections.

“There are always instances where postal votes are not received, lost or misplaced and require re-issuing ahead of polling day. Out of over 20,000 postal votes issued across the constituency, to date only around 30 have needed to be replaced. So far around 70 per cent of the postal votes that were issued have been returned which again, is consistent with previous elections.”

The Sir Fynwy Torfaen constituency has 150, 095 electors and anyone aged 16 or over, who is registered, is entitled to vote and there is no need to bring ID or a polling card to the poling station.