An initial batch of postal vote packs issued for the Trumpington ward elections contained an error in the instructions printed on the reverse of the Envelope A. However, the ballot papers are valid and correctly state that voters can vote for up to two candidates.

The error has already been corrected in the next two batches of postal vote packs that will be issued for Trumpington over the coming days.

There is a by-election taking place in Trumpington on the same day as the local election. As a result, Trumpington electors are entitled to vote for up to two candidates in that ward. The ballot paper explains this correctly and clearly instructs voters to vote for no more than two candidates.  Unfortunately, the reverse of Envelope A incorrectly states that voters should vote for one candidate. 

The majority of affected postal voters have already been contacted directly via text and email to explain the error and to provide reassurance that the instructions printed on the ballot paper are correct and should be followed. The remaining 138 voters that have not provided email or text contact details will instead receive a letter on Thursday 23 April. 

15 postal votes from Trumpington ward had been received by the time the error was spotted. Any voter who has already returned their postal vote and is concerned that they may have followed the incorrect instructions is encouraged to contact Cambridge City Council Electoral Services for advice. Those we have already spoken to have followed the correct instructions.

Trumpington is the only ward in Cambridge this year where a by-election is taking place. A by-election occurs when a previously elected councillor chooses to step down or cannot complete their four-year term causing an additional seat in the ward to be vacant. For this reason, Trumpington is the only ward where voters can vote for up to two candidates at the local elections.

Robert Pollock, Returning Officer for the City of Cambridge, said: “I’d like to apologise for the error and any confusion caused. We took swift action to correct it.  All Trumpington postal vote ballots that have been issued are valid and can still be used, and electors in Trumpington may vote for one or two candidates, in line with the instructions on the ballot paper. I will review this matter as part of my post-election evaluation to ensure it does not happen again.”