Change to Barnsley local election count after postal votes lost in 2021

Traditionally, votes are counted overnight after the polling stations close.

Electoral Commission guidelines say if the count takes place the following day, sealed ballot boxes will be taken to a secure location and stored until they can be delivered to the count centre.

During the council elections on May 5, 2021, BMBC “failed to count a box of postal ballot papers through simple human error”.

The chief executive of Barnsley Council apologised and said there are “lessons to be learned” after the box of postal votes for the Royston ward were not included in the overnight count.

The uncounted votes did not change the outcome of the election for the ward – Labour held the ward with Councillor Dave Webster winning the seat.

As a result of an investigation that “suggested that the count taking place overnight might have contributed to the errors that occurred”, the verifications and counting of votes will now take place on the morning following the election.

Peter Stanyon, the chief executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators, and the most senior electoral administrator in England, wrote during the investigation: “We are confident from our discussions with the returning officer and her staff that they are committed to delivering safe, secure and professional elections and that appropriate steps will be taken to ensure similar situations do not occur at future elections.”

Sarah Norman, chief executive of Barnsley Council, said the incident was "unacceptable" and has apologised.

In a statement published on the council website she said: "The postal votes have now been counted, and the figures have been recalculated.

"The result has not changed. Dave Webster from the Labour Party is elected for the Royston Ward.

"This discrepancy in the number of votes and the declaration of incorrect figures is not acceptable. We're very sorry that this has happened."

This year, voters will take to the polls to elect their local councillor on May 2, and the count will take place on May 3.

Voter ID is required this year, and today is the deadline to register to vote.

To find out more, see BMBC’s website.