WHILE people in Waltham Forest and Redbridge were able to vote without a hitch this morning, people in the borough of Barnet were turned away.

The Guardian Series sister paper, the Times Series, broke the story at 7.30am after details of the mix-up emerged.

Officials had been sent the wrong voting lists and ordered people to bring their polling cards - but some were turned away anyway.

Barnet Council said the issue was due to be rectified at 10am but people are now calling for a full inquiry into what happened, as hundreds are believed to have lost their vote.

Seetha Kumar, who tried to vote at Avenue House polling station at around 8am, told the Times Series: "I've been deprived of voting in a critical election. It's unacceptable - I can't come back tonight and vote again. This is not democratic in the slightest." 

Local Liberal Democrat Alisdair Hill said: "I don't know what will happen next. Will all votes be nullified? Will they delay the announcement of the mayor and the assembly candidates? So many people have been denied their right to vote."

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A statement from Barnet Council, who the authority refused to name, said: “We are aware of problems with our electoral registration lists this morning at polling stations in Barnet which have meant that a number of people who had not brought their polling card with them were unable to vote.

“We are working to resolve this issue and the updated registers have been sent to all the polling stations, which we expect to be in place by 10am.  In the meantime, people who have their polling cards with them are able to vote.

“We are advising residents to bring their polling cards. If people were unable to vote this morning they are being advised to return if possible later before the stations close at 10pm. We apologise for the problems.”