This Is Guernsey

A 72-YEAR-OLD man will not be voting after he discovered his name had been changed on the electoral roll.

Tony Simon recently started receiving manifestos for Andrew Simon and says that his conscience will not let him vote despite being advised he still could.

It followed yesterday’s revelation that around 10 voters who had signed up to vote in time online will not be able to because of another error at the Home Department. Mr Simon has lived in the Vale for more than 35 years. In 2004 his address on the roll was wrong so he filled in a form this time to ensure everything was right.

‘When the manifestos were delivered to my house, my name had changed from Anthony Peter Simon to Andrew Peter Simon,’ he said.

Mr Simon was concerned voting under the wrong name would be fraudulent.

‘It’s one of those things that shouldn’t happen, so I’m not able to vote. My conscience won’t let me,’ he said.

‘I just can’t believe it.’

Islanders go to the polls on Wednesday 23 April.

‘To me this is a major election. I thought I must have my address put right so there would be no trouble, but now the name is wrong.’

He added that things were going to get hard and so every vote counted.

Home Department chief officer Brian Richings said it had contacted Mr Simon to apologise for the error. It advised him to take his voting card, which will be sent out closer to the election, to the polling station.

It would have the ‘partially incorrect’ name on it and correspond with the roll.

The department would contact the returning officer to confirm the situation.

‘Alternatively he may prefer to use a postal vote if he prefers not to have to give a partially incorrect name at the polling station,’ said Mr Richings.

The roll would be amended to correct the error once it reopens after the election.

Candidates are reporting more problems than normal with the accuracy of the electoral roll. It had not been renewed for 2008, something that would have cost around £50,000.