Anger over postal vote no-show

Corinne Gardner, of De La Warr Road, said it was "outrageous" that Rother District Council appeared to missed her registration for postal vote having sent her the relevant form three times last year.

She said: "I have lived here for 27 or 28 years. I am registered disabled, I have leukaemia and an enlarged heart. And yet they say I

have not been registered for a postal vote.

"I am fuming.

"Three times I sent the form back, but now they send a polling card for me to go out and vote.

"I am disabled. I can't get out. Someone is getting paid at the Town Hall for not doing their job properly.

"One notification should be enough '“ but three is outrageous.

"I have lived here all these years and never had problems before. What the hell is going on there? What the hell are they getting paid for? I hope I am the only person this is happening to."

Corinne said when she contacted RDC on Monday she was advised to register online but suggested that not everyone has access to a computer.

She added: "I am feeling angry at the moment. It is my right to vote. They are always preaching at us it is our right to vote...but if they are not doing their job properly, then something has gone really wrong.

"I think it's outrageous. I know other people don't vote, but I do."

Rother chief executive Derek Stevens said: "Our records show that Mrs Gardner had been sent the forms to request a postal vote on two occasions in the last year, but we had not received the completed documents back in the post.

"The Council is keen for everyone who is entitled to vote to be able to do so '“ given the approaching deadline and the fact Mrs Gardner's disability makes it difficult for her to attend the town hall building, an officer hand-delivered and collected the forms as soon as she made us aware of the situation.

"As a result, Mrs Gardner's postal vote will now be with her in plenty of time for the general election."