ELECTION candidates clashed over a council’s decision not to send out polling cards.

Witney Town Council refused to send cards to 5,700 voters for a by-election in the East Witney ward, saying the £2,000 cost was a waste of cash.

The poll had one of the lowest turnouts for the district in recent years at 12.7 per cent.

The last by-election, in 2003, saw a 20.5 per cent turnout.

Some candidates said voters were unaware of the election as they did not get polling cards.

Duncan Enright won with 480 votes over 123 for the Liberal Democrats and 117 for the Green Party.

He said: “Right up to the end people were saying ‘I can’t go and vote because my polling card hasn’t come’.”

The Conservatives refused to stand, saying the poll on Thursday was a waste of money as all seats are up for election in May. They have 14 of the council’s 17 seats.

Witney mayor and Conservative James Mills said: “Previous local elections without polling cards have had turnouts of around 20 per cent, so I do not believe that the low turnout was due to the lack of polling cards.”

The poll was called after Tory Louise Chapman was disqualified for not attending a meeting for six months.