Businessman angry at being denied chance to vote due to postal delay

But his local electoral authority insist it is up to individual voters to make sure they are registered.

Nathan Everest, who runs graphic design business Twenty9K in Sleaford, says he moved home from Great Ponton to Great Gonerby, near Grantham, on May 9 and immediately contacted South Kesteven District Council to register for Council Tax and to be amended to a new address on the Electoral Roll.

However, on checking with the council yesterday, he was told his registration had not been processed and he was not on the electoral roll to be eligible to vote at either his new or old address.

An annoyed Mr Everest said: “I had a booklet in the post saying people should make sure they are registered to vote, which I did, registering on line. Then I moved and contacted the council to sort out council tax and warned them I would need to be altered on the electoral roll.”

Residents have to register by June 7 with forms being accepted up to June 9.

He said: “When I contacted the council yesterday to check why I hadn’t received a polling card they told me a form had been sent out to fill in - but I didn’t receive it. They said it is a two part system to make sure you are eligible to vote.

“The woman at the council said it must have been lost in the post. I asked how quickly they had sent it out and she could not say. She was very apologetic but it was too late and I could not use my old address as that had now been re-registered to the new resident.

“I am annoyed I have been denied the chance to vote. I am a businessman and need to vote and they are telling me I cannot. They (SKDC) knew I was in my new property since May 9 and I thought I had registered weeks beforehand so as not to leave it to chance.”

He will now only be eligible to vote when the next election comes along.

An SKDC spokesperson said: “The elector notified the council that he had moved to a new address which resulted in his electoral record being removed from his previous address.

“A registration form was sent to the individual at his new address to facilitate his new registration to be eligible to vote.

“However we did not receive an application from him to register before the deadline of Thursday, June 9.

“It is the responsibility of each individual in a household to ensure vote registration has been completed in line with Electoral Commission processes and deadlines.”