Local Elections 2026: 'Potential issue' with Emsworth and St Faiths ballot papers due to boundary dispute
Shock as “potential issue” with ballot papers at polling district results in votes being isolated
Voters at a polling district may have been given the wrong ballot papers due to a mix-up over county council division boundaries.
A boundary change was made a couple of years ago which affected the Emsworth and St Faith’s division of Hampshire County Council. But somehow this year a mistake was made - the candidates were under the impression that the old boundaries were still in force, and worse still, a polling station in the area was sent the wrong ballot papers. It was sent ballot papers that would have fitted the old boundary, and not the new one.
Some of the unlucky candidates in the county council elections who are standing in Emsworth and St Faiths have been delivered the disappointing blow that their campaigning endeavours may have been fruitless - because they were in the old area, and not the new one.
The mistake only came to light during tonight’s count in Havant. The decision was then made to leave out the votes that were cast in the county council election in the polling station that had been given the wrong papers.
Grainne Rason, a Green party county council candidate for Emsworth and St. Faiths ward, has been affected by the “potential issue”.
She said: “I can’t believe nobody picked it up before. How did nobody notice the boxes weren’t right?
“The county division does not include the whole of the St Faiths ward - there are four polling stations but one of them is not in the county division.
“Life is full of ironies because I live in part of the ward I should have been campaigning in. This is a reflection of how understaffed the local authorities are - but this is not the officer’s fault.”
After speaking to the candidates and agents, the returning officer read out the following statement: “It has come to light that there may be a potential issue with the ballot papers for one of the polling districts. I have spoken to Hampshire County Council elections team, who have consulted with the Electoral Commission. Following their advice, we shall isolate the ballot papers and postal ballot papers received in the affected polling district – seal them up and clearly label them.
“I will inform you of the total number of ballot papers affected but will not count by candidate. We will count the remaining papers for both divisions as normal and declare. The ballot papers will be securely retained.”
Cllr Sharon Collings, group Leader of Reform UK said: “The decision taken is not a good look for democracy. It denies the rights of voters by cancelling 25 per cent of the vote.”