Cardiff Council denies it is responsible for the invalid applications that left protesting students unable to vote.
The Council could not register around 200 people who submitted ‘incomplete addresses’ on electoral registrations, despite a protest from affected students.
There were reports on social media that Cardiff Council was able to register people on the day but this was rejected by the Council, who also denied they were at fault.
“We have to be clear that this situation has not arisen because of a clerical error on the Council’s part,” said Cardiff Council.
“Around 200 people were not registered because we did not have the relevant information and were unable to make contact with the elector within the required timeframe.”
Approximately 1,000 invalid addresses were submitted in total, a number of which came from student accommodation. 800 were then contacted and registered.
“I’ve been stripped of my right to vote… I got an email a couple of days ago saying your address is incorrect but you can’t do anything now because it’s too late,” said Brandon Jeffs, a student in University of South Wales.
He was one of many residents in the Liberty Bridge student accommodation who are believed to have been affected, stating his flatmate had to travel back home to Kent in order to vote
NUS Wales organised a protest on Friday outside the building calling on the Council to register the students, but it was not unsuccessful.
