Voter registration forms are found dumped in a bin

A resident claimed she spotted letters being dumped in a bin by a worker in the Tower Camp area of Brooklands on Monday.

The woman, who retrieved the letters, has informed Tendring Council about the incident and returned them to the council’s offices.

Ian Davidson, electoral registration officer at Tendring Council, confirmed that an allegation had been made by a member of the public that some forms destined for homes in the Jaywick were dumped in a bin.

“This allegation has been taken extremely seriously and as soon as the council was made aware of the situation, measures were put in place to carry out an investigation,” he added.

“We will also ensure that the forms are delivered to the affected households.”

It is understood the worker was employed by the council on a casual basis to carry out the canvass.

Tendring Council is currently in the process of delivering voter registration forms to almost 70,000 households across the district.

The purpose of the form is to check and confirm whether the information that appears on the electoral register for every address is correct.

It is all part of the annual voter registration canvass which is a legal requirement and it is taking place between August and October.

More than 30,000 forms have already been completed by residents and returned to the council.

Deliveries of the form are scheduled to be completed on August 25 and Mr Davidson urged anyone who has not received their form by this weekend to contact the electoral services team.

Golf Green ward councillor Kevin Watson said he was shocked by the alleged incident.

“If it is true that voter registration forms were dumped, then it is a very serious matter,” he said.

“It is very important that the people of Jaywick have their say in elections.”

Anyone who requires further information about voter registration or how to respond to the form should call the electoral services team on 01255 686566 or email at elections@tendringdc.gov.uk.