VOTERS who were sent postal ballot forms for next week’s local and European elections have complained about the instructions for filling them in.

They said the forms appeared to be encouraging people to vote Tory, and the Liberal Democrats have lodged a complaint with the Electoral Commission.

The ‘example’ ballot form for Wiltshire Council and Salisbury City Council showed the names of fictitious Conservative and BNP candidates, with no mention of any other party, and an X next to the Conservative.

The instructions also tell people how to put a cross against their preferred party to elect MEPs. Again, the cross is next to the word Conservative.

Pensioner George Banham said: “I think it’s absolutely scandalous. They must not demonstrate how to vote for a particular party.”

A LibDem candidate for the city council said: “They are trying to manipulate people into voting for the Conservatives.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “These are standard voting instructions produced for a number of local authorities in the South West.

“When the elections are complete we will review the literature in conjunction with the Electoral Commission.”

For the full story see next Thursday's Journal