Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Postal Vote Opening Letter to Rutland County Councils Returning Officer Helen Briggs

Postal Vote Opening Letter to Rutland County Councils Returning Officer Helen Briggs


Dear Mrs Briggs,

Rutland Postal Votes

Today at the postal opening I noticed a person found an envelope containing
2 voting papers. The envelope was the one with the purple mark used to
return the voting packs in.

When the lady was questioned by staff, she said it had come out of envelope
a. It was not folded so I can not see how it could have fitted in envelope  a or how it
passed through process one and two unsealed.

I asked for the envelopes and votes to be set aside for your inspection
and you were told and you simply shouted it has been noted and instructed
Mr Daines to dispose of the envelopes against my wish.

I also noted that at the first stage this morning Mrs Baker found two
empty envelopes had been received via the post these were not recorded
and just binned.

Yesterday you have expressed a level of conduct to be observed by all
present "silence" why does it not apply to you or your senior staff.

You tweet when the law says no electronic equipment must
be used in the room accept the computer equipment used to assist
the process.

You and your senior staff laughed out loud a number of times I fond it
hard to believe this can be explained as silent.

You also spent a considerable time stuffing your faces with food
whilst working.

And finally once again the female member of staff with blonde
hair once again slipped back into old habits and at least 8 times
took rubbish to the bin whilst handling ballot papers.

It is still impossible for agents to see the papers at the back of the
room. Please can you provide a set of binoculars.

From

Martin Brookes

PS I also noted the slack procedure relating to the verification
form which was also found in a bundle of votes being opened.
If the senior staff stopped laughing eating and socialising and
did the job you are all highly paid to do these mistakes would
not happen.