Vote posters target wrong country

Vote posters target wrong country

Edinburgh folk are learning about the Welsh Assembly election

Large posters urging people to vote in next week's Welsh Assembly election have been put up in Scotland's capital.

The advertisements, on double-sided hoardings in Edinburgh, have been urging the electorate not to waste their vote at the 1 May poll.

But the posters do not refer to the Scottish Parliament election next Thursday, and instead refer to the issue of education in Wales.

The Electoral Commission has admitted it made a mistake and will pull down the adverts as soon as possible.

Investigation

A spokeswoman for the independent organisation - which launched separate advertising campaigns in Wales and Scotland - said an investigation was now under way.

She added that the problem probably stemmed from an error at a distributor's depot.

The commission said it would replace the posters with the correct Scottish version as soon as possible.

The incorrect hoardings have been spotted on at least three different sites in Edinburgh.

One of the ads is outside the Meadowbank sports stadium which is on a main commuter route into Scotland's capital.

The Electoral Commission says it will remove the posters

The people of Edinburgh already have a series of votes on 1 May.

They will have two votes in the election to the Scottish Parliament, and the Edinburgh City Council election is on the same day.

The commission set out on its campaign by using TV, radio and billboard advertisements to persuade voters that they could "make a difference".

'High impact'

Its website's front page said: "As part of our role in raising awareness of the upcoming elections in May, we are undertaking a high impact advertising campaign.

"This year the campaign in Great Britain is focusing on the elections to the devolved institutions in Scotland and Wales."

The commission is an independent body which was set up in November 2000.

It said its aim was to "increase public confidence in the democratic process and encourage people to take part by modernising the electoral process, promoting public awareness of electoral matters, and regulating political parties".