John Swinney says 'nothing that can be done' about Scots missing out on vote due to postal ballot delays

dailyrecord.co.uk:

First Minister John Swinney said there was “nothing that can be done” about postal votes that have not yet arrived for voters who are now overseas.Furious Scots have complained that their "right to vote has been stolen" due to postal ballot chaos.

Many people who have applied for general election postal votes before going on holiday have not received them. East Lothian council has set up emergency polling booths this weekend to ensure residents in the area are able to cast their vote, following similar measures in Edinburgh and Fife.

Other councils around the country are issuing updates on their websites.But Mr Swinney said there had been “significant reports of people who were trying to vote by post who had applied properly for a postal vote before the deadline of June 19”.

The SNP leader said he had “made it very clear about the fact some people will be disenfranchised” if their postal votes cannot be filled out and returned on time.Speaking to Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on Sky News, Mr Swinney said: “Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done.“They have to be here to be able to exercise their postal vote, if it’s been delivered to the house, or if there is an alternative arrangement in place.“There are no other proxy arrangements that can be put in place, but I think it’s illustrative of the fact there was no thought given to summer school holidays.”Completed postal votes must have reached councils by 10pm on polling day, July 4.