Council investigating poll card print error

A council is investigating after poll cards for upcoming local elections contained wrong information.

Poll cards distributed across Braintree incorrectly said there would be an election of councillors to Braintree District Council rather than to Essex County Council.

Both councils apologised for the confusion, but said the cards did correctly tell voters the name of their electoral area as well as the date, time and place where they could vote.

Braintree District Council and its print supplier are investigating.

"We are aware that that the poll cards issued by Braintree District Council for the Essex County Council elections taking place on 7 May – that is for all ECC electoral divisions within the Braintree district – include an error," a joint statement from the district and county council said.

"The poll cards should say that they are for the Essex County Council elections but instead refer to 'election of councillors to Braintree District Council'."

Local elections take place on 7 May and will see all of the county council's 78 seats up, with other elections across various district councils.

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