Count on after council probe (From Stourbridge News)

Count on after council probe

1:57pm Friday 4th May 2007 in Local

A COUNCIL election count delayed after confusion over postal votes will now go ahead today (Friday) following an investigation.

Candidates for the Pedmore and Stourbridge East ward at the election night count, in Stourbridge Town Hall, were told a result could not be given because 480 ballot papers were unaccounted for.

The count will now take place at Dudley Council House after officials concluded all postal votes were available.

A council spokesman said: "The postal votes available for counting were some 400 fewer than the scanned total shown by the electronic check carried out on returned postal votes.

"It would have been unfair to finish counting without checking all the postal vote paperwork to ensure all the postal votes actually returned are in the count."