UKIP North East statement on ballot paper errors in Darlington

Darlington Borough Council have announced that UKIP candidate David Hodgson was missing from a number of ballot papers in the Darlington Constituency.  Upon learning of this situation MEP for the North East and UKIP candidate for Easington Jonathan Arnott said:

“This kind of mistake is unacceptable in a 21st-century democracy.  For even one voter to be denied the opportunity to choose between all of the candidates at a General Election is appalling.  We now call upon Darlington’s Electoral Services team to confirm in public:

1. That they have contacted every other polling station within the constituency, and that they are 100% confident that the correct ballot papers have been used everywhere else

2. That ballot papers lacking one of the candidates are null and void, and should not be counted

3. That any people affected will have the right to return to the polling station by 10pm to cast a valid vote

These questions have not been addressed in their statement, and need to be clarified as soon as possible.  It is a simple matter of democracy.  The question of how such an error could have occurred is substantial, and should be investigated further in the coming days.”