THERE are fears there’s been a stuff-up with ballot papers in Cockburn and Fremantle, although the Electoral Commission says it’s unlikely.

There Herald has had several people ring to say they’ve only received ballot papers for ward candidates and not the mayoral election.

Cockburn mayor Logan Howlett also contacted us to say he’d had two calls within half and hour reporting the same problem.

Freo resident Susanne said she knows of at least three people in her complex of 25 units who only got one ballot paper, although she’s still looking into whether the fact she’ll receive another ballot pack as a business owner in the city may be behind the omission.

City ward candidate Roel Loopers is convinced the commission has stuffed up again, after ballots meant for Kalgoorlie were sent to Nedlands. Mr Loopers says after the fiasco when federal ballots were lost, heads at the organisation should roll.

But the commission says so far it’s had just one complaint from Fremantle and one from Cockburn and is confident it’s a minor glitch.

“At this stage the Commission has no evidence to suggest there is a widespread problem with the compilation of Fremantle or Cockburn packages,” it said in a release to the Herald.

“The process of compiling the 1.55 million postal vote packages is an automated one. Very occasionally the insertion machine may not grab one of the items that constitutes a complete package or could potentially grab two of a particular item.

“This is a very rare occurrence and in addition quality assurance processes are in place to further mitigate the risk.”

by STEVE GRANT and STEPHEN POLLOCK