Many Brits across the UK did not cast their vote due to postal ballot chaos, says election watchdog - as candidates subjected to 'unacceptable' abuse and intimidation

• Electoral Commission said there was 'room to improve' on postal vote system
• Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) is calling for earlier deadlines
• A record 10 million people are believed to have registered for a postal vote

Voters in the UK and abroad were disenfranchised due to postal ballot delays while candidates were subjected to 'unacceptable' abuse and intimidation, the watchdog said.

The head of the Electoral Commission said polling day had gone 'smoothly' but admitted some lost out on their chance to take part after reports that thousands of people were not sent their postal votes in time.

As polls closed, the commission's chief executive, Vijay Rangarajan, said: 'Millions of people were able to have their say, but we know there is room to improve... Some couldn't vote both in the UK and abroad because of the late arrival of postal votes.

'There was a robust campaign but unacceptable abuse and intimidation of candidates.'

He added that running the election had been a 'considerable task'. 

'We will recommend improvements to the systems where necessary,' Mr Rangarajan said.

His comments came after the officials in charge of polls called for urgent changes to election law. 

The Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) is calling for earlier deadlines for voters applying for postal ballots, giving councils more time to print and post packs. 

The body also said emergency proxy powers should be introduced to rescue people who did not receive their postal votes in time.

Laura Lock, deputy chief executive of the AEA, told The Guardian: 'Demand has tested the system.' 

A record 10 million people are believed to have registered for a postal vote this year, up 20 per cent on the figure for 2019.

But the feared missing ballots have triggered a blame game between Royal Mail, councils and ministers.

 Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch hit out at Uttlesford District Council in her Essex constituency after thousands of postal ballots were not sent out. 

She accused the council of having 'potentially disenfranchised up to 2,600 postal voters'.

'Lots of questions on doorstep today about missing postal ballots in North West Essex,' she wrote on X. 

If the election result is tight and leads to legal claims for the process to be re-run, Ms Badenoch would be counted as a candidate not MP – and be ineligible to run for any Tory leadership contest.

The council has insisted that missing packs were posted first-class last week and that some were hand-delivered to voters who were due to go away before polling day.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: 'There is no backlog... We remain confident that postal votes handed to us on time have been delivered in time for polling day.'

It was also the first general election where voters were required to bring photo ID, with some reports of people being turned away for not having the right documents.

The Electoral Commission said: 'We will be collecting evidence after the election to gauge the impact of the new requirement.'

There were also claims of attempts at voter intimidation, with a van parked outside Brick Lane Mosque in east London bearing the slogan: 'A vote for Labour is a vote for genocide.'