Printer has to pay after residents sent incorrect electoral enquiry forms

‘We have now put enhanced data-checking, quality checking and security measures in place, to ensure this cannot happen again’

A PRINTING company has been forced to pay more than £50,000 for an error which saw incorrect voter details sent to householders across Arran.

As The Banner reported in August, Arran received just a small part of the 160,000 electoral Household Enquiry Forms sent erroneously and blamed on a computer error.

An investigation concluded the external printer was to blame and they had to pay for the costs of the Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board’s (AVJB) re-issue, which has been dropping through letter boxes this week.

The Information Commis- sioner’s Office (ICO), to which the board reported the matter, has also confirmed that no further action is necessary by AVJB. The commissioner’s decision was based on the fact that the nature of personal data involved was very limited and the vast majority was already, or will be, in the public domain.

The investigation, which concluded on September 23, means the total costs of £50,185 for the re-issue of the forms will be paid in full by the sub-contracted printer, with no costs incurred by the AVJB, which is the body responsible for electoral registration in Ayrshire and is sep- arate from the three Ayrshire Councils.

AVJB worked with the printer to identify what had gone wrong with the printing of the Household Enquiry Forms and why; and to put in place measures to ensure the same mistake doesn’t happen again.

Helen McPhee, electoral registration officer, said: ‘Basically, the problem arose from how the printer’s system ‘read’ the data file we provided. And although only a very small number of records included these erroneous blank records, the knock-on effect was significant and affected thousands of printed forms.

‘Despite the quality-checking procedures we had in place for the printed forms, no records used at that stage were affected by the error, and this meant the problem wasn’t identified until the forms actually reached households.

‘We’re very sorry for any distress or inconvenience this caused and thank everyone for their patience and co-operation during the re-issue of the forms and the related investigation.We have now put enhanced data-checking, quality checking and security measures in place, to ensure this cannot happen again.’

She added: ‘I would remind anyone who has yet to complete and return their Household Enquiry Form to do so as soon as possible. I would also remind people that the elector information included on the forms is based on the current version of the electoral register.

‘So, if you haven’t let us know that you’ve moved house or changed your name, you need to do that so you can be assured of your inclusion on the electoral register and be eligible to vote in forthcoming elections.’

Further information on the Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board can be found at: www.ayrshire-vjb.gov.uk