PEOPLE living in Shepway who have not yet received their ballot paper for a postal vote are being advised by the Folkestone-based district council that they can apply for a replacement ballot paper from the council offices today.

The council heard yesterday that 270 postal vote forms and ballot papers were not forwarded by Op2vote, the company used to coordinate the 10,000 postal vote applications in Shepway, to Royal Mail for delivery.

Op2vote has apologised to the council for the error and all the postal vote packs which had not been handed over to the Royal Mail last Tuesday were handed over and posted first class last tonight.

Acting Returning Officer, Alistair Stewart, said Op2vote had been contracted to issue postal vote packs on behalf of the council.

"We had been assured that 9,334 packs were handed over to Royal Mail last Tuesday. But following several inquiries by us, the company told us today that 270 postal vote packs had been found at its print centre."

Mr Stewart said that postal voters who had not received their packs should contact the election office on 01303 852315 and arrangements would be made to issue replacement packs. Replacements can be issued any time up until 5pm today.

People who receive their ballot packs have until 10pm tomorrow to return them in person to the civic centre in Castle Hill Avenue in Folkestone, or hand them in at any polling station.