#deniedmyvote : EU Citizens Turned Away from UK Polling Stations

Michael Russell, Constitutional Relations Secretary in the Scottish Government has written to  the UK Minister for the Cabinet Office David Liddington and the Electoral Commission after receiving  reports that EU citizens living in the UK were denied the right to vote during the European Elections.

The letter states:

“It is a disgrace that in addition to the uncertainties that EU citizens have had to endure, over the last almost 3 years since the EU referendum, some have been denied their right to vote in the European Parliament Election. We want EU citizens in Scotland to feel settled and secure, and to continue to feel welcome and valued in Scotland. This debacle will do nothing to ease their concerns.

“We also have first-hand reports of EU citizens being unable to vote even though they had completed and returned the forms on time. I would ask you to investigate the scale of this problem which may have arisen due to the lack to time in the run up to the election. If you require evidence of this many instances were described online under #deniedmyvote

Michael Russell has called for an inquiry into the disenfranchisement of so many citizens.