A MIX-up of registers at a Gorleston polling station meant 15 voters were given the wrong ballot papers for the county council elections, it emerged this afternoon.

A MIX-up of registers at a Gorleston polling station meant 15 voters were given the wrong ballot papers for the county council elections, it emerged this afternoon.

The “silly mistake” happened at Cliff Park First School polling station where papers for the Magdalen division got mixed up with registers from the Gorleston St Andrews division.

Officials overseeing the voting from Great Yarmouth Borough Council admitted the mistake and said every effort had been made to contact affected voters.

Assistant deputy returning officer at the borough council Linda Mockford said it had been “a silly mistake” and apologised to voters.

She said: “There are two polling stations at Cliff Park First School which cover Gorleston St Andrews and the Magdalen division. Unfortunately the St Andrews ward got the Magdalen registers as well as the St Andrews registers.”

Voters issued with the wrong ballot papers have been contacted by telephone and informed of the mix-up. Those the council has not been able to reach by telephone have had letters hand delivered to their homes.

She added: “This is our mistake but I feel we have done our best to rectify this.”

A man from Gorleston affected by the mix-up branded it a “sloppy mistake”.

The voter, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “How could the borough council get it so wrong? Even if its only one vote affected these local elections are often very close calls. This is totally undemocratic.”