A COUNCIL error has caused confusion for more than 5,000 voters as forms were sent out containing the wrong address.

Letters informing Weymouth and Portland Borough Council postal voters that their packs would be sent to a house on Portland were mistakenly posted in the run-up to May’s election.

Instead of the voter’s own address, the confirmation forms advised that the packs would be delivered to a house in Albert Terrace.

Chris Bratchell, of White Horse Holiday Park, who received one of the letters, said: “It’s incompetent.

“If you are sending out letters for that sort of thing, you check them before you print and send.

“It’s cost money and, probably the most serious thing is, that it makes people start thinking about the democratic procedures and if they are working.

“Postal voting is notoriously vulnerable to fraud and when they make mistakes like this, it doesn’t give you much confidence in their ability to run an election.”

Another angry voter, who did not wish to be named, said: “I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.

“The number of letters that have been sent out like this.

“It’s an absolute waste of money.

“Why have they sent us a letter?

“Why don’t they just send us a ballot packet?”

The council said that the 5,500 letters were sent out containing the wrong information due to a clerical error, which was spotted over the weekend.

A spokeswoman said: “Letters regarding the voting postal pack have been sent to voters which contain the wrong information as to where the postal packs will be subsequently sent.

“The error is due to a simple typing mistake and all letters will be reissued with the correct details.

“Postal votes will go to the correct address to which the letters have been sent.

“There will be no extra cost for council tax payers incurred by this which will be covered by the returning officer’s fee.”

The voter who lives at the house in Albert Terrace said he believes the council made an ‘honest mistake’ and phoned him to apologise.

Kelvin Walkin said: “I’ve been working away, so I’ve been voting by post for the past five or six years. I’m back at home now so I can vote in person.

“If they had actually sent out the voting packs to my address, it would be a ridiculous waste.

“But as it is, they have made a mistake and are now rectifying it.”

“They spotted it before anything came out to me and they have called me to apologise.

“They don’t want any more egg on their faces.”

Southill resident Yvonne Hall said she was surprised when she saw the address on her postal vote.

She said: “I was surprised to see the address – I thought it was just me that they got the wrong address for I had no idea it was other people as well.

“I don’t feel cross. It’s the chap on Portland I feel sorry for.”

She added: “I’m not irate about it.

“It’s funny more than anything else.”