Counter employees of the municipality of Groningen in the Kreupelstraat had their hands full on Tuesday morning with voters who had lost their voting card or had not received it. The latter mainly came from Beijum.
They live on and around the Nijensteinheerd in the southeastern part of the district. The postman delivered letters there two weeks ago, but the voting cards for the House elections were not among them. They had disappeared without a trace. Anyone who had not received his or her voting card, or who had accidentally aimed the waste paper into a designated container, could request a new copy.
Deadline was at 12 noon
For those who took action too late to receive such a replacement pass, a ‘live’ visit to the municipal office in the city center was an alternative. The pass could be obtained there upon presentation of proof of identity and a form to be completed on the spot, with the deadline being 12 noon on Tuesday afternoon.
It was busy in the Kreupelstraat, with last-minute Beijumers. The fear was that not everyone would be on time, because some discovered the loss late or postponed it somewhat, and had to be made aware of the possibility of making up for the damage.
Municipality found out about PostNL as ‘culprit’
“A week ago it became clear to us that something was wrong in Beijum,” says municipal spokesperson Hans Coenraads. “We investigated what caused the problem. It turned out to have been an error by PostNL. We immediately informed the residents involved of the possibility of requesting a replacement pass.”
As is often the case, this often happened at the last minute.