Eurostar passenger carries stranger’s postal ballot from Paris to London

If the undecided group of voters in the Cities of London and Westminster is decided by just one vote, it could all be credited to a man who couldn't even vote.

A man named Moritz Hauschulz from Germany who currently resides in London was getting ready to get on a Eurostar train at Gare du Nord in Paris on Thursday morning when a stranger came up to him holding an envelope.

A man named Lawrence Cheung, who was a British living in Paris, met a stranger named Hauschulz. Cheung explained that he received his postal ballot too late and needed someone going to London to bring it to a polling station there. Hauschulz agreed, and after a few hours, he successfully cast Cheung's vote at a polling station in the Barbican. This could potentially have a significant impact on the closely contested election in that constituency.

Hauschulz mentioned to the Guardian that it was strange to be approached by a stranger at a train station, but he typically listens to people to hear what they need. It didn't take him long to figure out what the stranger was trying to accomplish, especially because he had been in a similar situation when he lived in the US as a German.

Cheung mentioned, "Moritz took down my phone number and assured me that he would communicate if there were any issues or once he successfully submitted my vote. True to his word, he reached out to me on WhatsApp two hours later with a photo showing he had completed the task. I am extremely thankful and feel relieved."

This election has faced challenges with postal voting, as many people were unable to vote because their ballot papers arrived too late. Various reasons have been cited for these issues, such as individuals being on vacation before receiving their papers and mistakes during the printing stage.

Because 20% of voters use mail-in ballots, there is a possibility that issues could arise that may postpone the results in certain areas and impact the overall outcome of the election. The Election Commission has announced that they will conduct a thorough investigation after the election has concluded.

Cheung's voting paper reached his home in Paris the day before the election, but he couldn't send it back on time. He explained that the issue was due to his own lack of the necessary documents to complete the voting process, rather than any mistakes made by UK officials or postal services.

Fortunately for Cheung, he discovered a message on the front of his ballot form stating that he or another person could submit his postal ballot at a polling station in his central London constituency. The only issue was that he was not scheduled to return to London on Thursday and did not have anyone else to help him.

Cheung had no other choice but to make his way through Paris to the Gare du Nord, hoping to encounter a helpful Londoner who could assist him in returning his vote.

After an hour of unsuccessfully trying to talk to random people, Cheung finally found Hauschulz, who agreed to help. Hauschulz shared that he had faced a similar situation where he couldn't vote in a German election by mail.

Hauschulz didn't bother to inquire about Cheung's political affiliation when he carried his vote with him to another country. "I didn't want to be influenced by how he was voting," explained Hauschulz. "I wanted to make my decision independently."

Following a short pause as Hauschulz attempted to clarify his intentions to confused election officials on the phone, he proceeded to the Barbican and managed to successfully vote on behalf of Cheung. Moving forward, he aims to replicate this process with his own ballot during the next election.

"I am hoping to become a citizen next year, so hopefully I will be able to participate in elections soon," Hauschulz mentioned. "At least this time, I was able to contribute to the citizenship application process."