Swathes of European citizens living in Britain were turned away from the ballot box in the European elections on Thursday despite registering as voters and having polling cards.

The Independent has seen evidence of more than 60 EU nationals on the electoral roll being denied the chance to vote in the European elections. The overall number affected is likely to be significantly higher.

The lost votes could be particularly significant in a year when Ukip is expected to make significant gains as non-British voters are less likely to support immigration-sceptical candidates.

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Many EU nationals had made sure they were on the electoral roll but were unaware of an extra piece of paperwork needed in order to cast their votes in Britain. The form, known as a UC1 appears not to have been advertised or sent out in many cases.

Others had all the relevant registration documents but were still told by election officials to “go and vote in their own country”.

The Electoral Commission acknowledged last night that many EU citizens were unaware of the extra form needed to cast their vote in Britain. They also admitted that they had received complaints from non-British EU voters saying it was never sent to them.

Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Local and European election results 2014 Show all 34 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Local and European election results 2014 1/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage celebrates with a pint after early local election results in the Hoy and Helmet pub in South Benfleet in Essex 2/34 Local and European election 2014 Ukip leader Nigel Farage stands on stage after being re-elected as an MEP flanked by fellow Ukip MEPs Janice Atkinson (R) and Diane James (L) AFP/Getty Images 3/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage on stage after being re-elected as an MEP as the South East England region results of the European Parliament elections AFP/Getty Images 4/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage (L) jokes with a TV crew before an interview at the declaration of the South East England region results of the European Parliament elections AFP/Getty Images 5/34 Local and European election 2014 Ukip leader Nigel Farage sits with fellow candidates Janice Atkinson (L), Diane James (second right) and Ray Finch (R) as the South East England region results of the European Parliament elections are declared by the returning officer at Southampton Guildhall AFP/Getty Images 6/34 Local and European election 2014 A defaced UKIP poster showing the faces of Nigel Farage, David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg in Sheffield 7/34 Local and European election 2014 Labour leader Ed Miliband is greeted by supporters and councillors at Redbridge Town Hall in Ilford, Essex 8/34 Local and European election 2014 Labour leader Ed Miliband shake hands with supporters and councillors at Redbridge Town Hall in Ilford, Essex 9/34 Local and European election 2014 David Cameron and his wife Samantha Cameron arrive at the Polling Station in Westminster Central Hall to cast their vote in the European and Local Elections in London 10/34 Local and European election 2014 Nick Clegg leaves his home after disappointing results in the UK Local elections in London 11/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage leaves a polling station near Biggin Hill 12/34 Local and European election 2014 Council staff count votes from local elections at Trinity School in Croydon 13/34 Local and European election 2014 Council staff count votes from local elections at Trinity School in Croydon 14/34 Local and European election 2014 United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) members wait for results of local election during the counting of votes at Trinity School in Croydon 15/34 Local and European election 2014 A ballot box containing votes in local elections is emptied at Trinity School in Croydon 16/34 Local and European election 2014 A member of the Labour Party sleeps during the counting of votes in local elections at Trinity School in Croydon 17/34 Local and European election 2014 Cut-outs of the electoral wards in the Borough of Croydon are prepared to be placed on a map of the borough whilst votes in local elections continue to be counted at Trinity School 18/34 Local and European election 2014 David Cameron talks during a campaign rally in Ealing 19/34 Local and European election 2014 Nick Clegg leaves after casting his vote at the Hall Park Centre, Sheffield 20/34 Local and European election 2014 A Conservative Party supporter gets ready for a campaign ally in Ealing 21/34 Local and European election 2014 David Cameron shakes a supporters hand during a Conservative party campaign rally in Ealing 22/34 Local and European election 2014 Nick Clegg walks past a bus stop to cast his vote at the Hall Park Centre, Sheffield 23/34 Local and European election 2014 Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg speaks to the media upon leaving The Cabinet Office, Whitehall 24/34 Local and European election 2014 Nick Clegg talks to residents on Weybourne Drive as he delivers Liberal Democrats Party leaflets in Bredbury in Stockport 25/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage with supporters following good results in local elections in South Ockendon 26/34 Local and European election 2014 Early local election results announced overnight show subsantial gains for UKIP 27/34 Local and European election 2014 UKIP voters celebrate while waiting for Nigel Farage 28/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage meets supporters during a visit to South Ockendon, Essex 29/34 Local and European election 2014 A supporter gives the thumb-up for UKIP leader Nigel Farage as the latter prepares to leaves Thurrock in Essex 30/34 Local and European election 2014 British Labour Party leader Ed Miliband speaks to journalists outside his house in North London 31/34 Local and European election 2014 Ed Miliband and his wife Justine leave a polling station after they casting their votes in Sutton, south Yorkshire 32/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage gives a media interview before leaving his home in Cudham, Kent 33/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage celebrates with two supporters during a visit to Basildon, Essex 34/34 Local and European election 2014 Farage's party could be on track to win the biggest share of British votes in elections for the European Parliament 1/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage celebrates with a pint after early local election results in the Hoy and Helmet pub in South Benfleet in Essex 2/34 Local and European election 2014 Ukip leader Nigel Farage stands on stage after being re-elected as an MEP flanked by fellow Ukip MEPs Janice Atkinson (R) and Diane James (L) AFP/Getty Images 3/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage on stage after being re-elected as an MEP as the South East England region results of the European Parliament elections AFP/Getty Images 4/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage (L) jokes with a TV crew before an interview at the declaration of the South East England region results of the European Parliament elections AFP/Getty Images 5/34 Local and European election 2014 Ukip leader Nigel Farage sits with fellow candidates Janice Atkinson (L), Diane James (second right) and Ray Finch (R) as the South East England region results of the European Parliament elections are declared by the returning officer at Southampton Guildhall AFP/Getty Images 6/34 Local and European election 2014 A defaced UKIP poster showing the faces of Nigel Farage, David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg in Sheffield 7/34 Local and European election 2014 Labour leader Ed Miliband is greeted by supporters and councillors at Redbridge Town Hall in Ilford, Essex 8/34 Local and European election 2014 Labour leader Ed Miliband shake hands with supporters and councillors at Redbridge Town Hall in Ilford, Essex 9/34 Local and European election 2014 David Cameron and his wife Samantha Cameron arrive at the Polling Station in Westminster Central Hall to cast their vote in the European and Local Elections in London 10/34 Local and European election 2014 Nick Clegg leaves his home after disappointing results in the UK Local elections in London 11/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage leaves a polling station near Biggin Hill 12/34 Local and European election 2014 Council staff count votes from local elections at Trinity School in Croydon 13/34 Local and European election 2014 Council staff count votes from local elections at Trinity School in Croydon 14/34 Local and European election 2014 United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) members wait for results of local election during the counting of votes at Trinity School in Croydon 15/34 Local and European election 2014 A ballot box containing votes in local elections is emptied at Trinity School in Croydon 16/34 Local and European election 2014 A member of the Labour Party sleeps during the counting of votes in local elections at Trinity School in Croydon 17/34 Local and European election 2014 Cut-outs of the electoral wards in the Borough of Croydon are prepared to be placed on a map of the borough whilst votes in local elections continue to be counted at Trinity School 18/34 Local and European election 2014 David Cameron talks during a campaign rally in Ealing 19/34 Local and European election 2014 Nick Clegg leaves after casting his vote at the Hall Park Centre, Sheffield 20/34 Local and European election 2014 A Conservative Party supporter gets ready for a campaign ally in Ealing 21/34 Local and European election 2014 David Cameron shakes a supporters hand during a Conservative party campaign rally in Ealing 22/34 Local and European election 2014 Nick Clegg walks past a bus stop to cast his vote at the Hall Park Centre, Sheffield 23/34 Local and European election 2014 Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg speaks to the media upon leaving The Cabinet Office, Whitehall 24/34 Local and European election 2014 Nick Clegg talks to residents on Weybourne Drive as he delivers Liberal Democrats Party leaflets in Bredbury in Stockport 25/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage with supporters following good results in local elections in South Ockendon 26/34 Local and European election 2014 Early local election results announced overnight show subsantial gains for UKIP 27/34 Local and European election 2014 UKIP voters celebrate while waiting for Nigel Farage 28/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage meets supporters during a visit to South Ockendon, Essex 29/34 Local and European election 2014 A supporter gives the thumb-up for UKIP leader Nigel Farage as the latter prepares to leaves Thurrock in Essex 30/34 Local and European election 2014 British Labour Party leader Ed Miliband speaks to journalists outside his house in North London 31/34 Local and European election 2014 Ed Miliband and his wife Justine leave a polling station after they casting their votes in Sutton, south Yorkshire 32/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage gives a media interview before leaving his home in Cudham, Kent 33/34 Local and European election 2014 Nigel Farage celebrates with two supporters during a visit to Basildon, Essex 34/34 Local and European election 2014 Farage's party could be on track to win the biggest share of British votes in elections for the European Parliament

Wojciech Zylinski, 26, a digital developer from Poland living in London, had filled in all the right forms but was still turned away.

“I filled in two registration forms - local and EU - and gave them to the council official, who checked them and confirmed that everything was fine. On Thursday evening I went to my local polling station to vote. I was shocked when I was told that I cannot vote in the European elections because ‘I need to vote where I came from’. After I argued that it’s not the case, I was told that I have never registered to vote in EU elections in the first place. My arguments fell on deaf ears. The exact same thing happened to my sister, who also registered in Newham and was denied vote at a different polling station.

“What troubles me is that I handed out both registration forms together and on time, so it’s not a case of postal delays or missing mail. One form was processed correctly and I was able to vote in local elections.”

A 35-year-old man called Baptiste, who wanted his surname withheld, posted online: “I'm a French citizen, lived in the UK 18 years. Told by East Cambridgeshire District Council to ‘go and vote in my own country’.”

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He said later: “I have returned all paperwork the council sent to me, and I have never ever had troubles voting in elections before. When I complained to the council worker of the unpleasant undertones of the language she was using, I never received a reply.”

Ewa Sipta, 38, a Polish citizen living in London, said: “I went to vote in Haringey and I took part in council elections but I couldn't vote in EU elections. I was convinced that if I'm registered to vote in the UK it is enough to vote in the EU elections here. It's a shame it hadn't been made clearer.”

Jakub Krupa, coordinator of the "Vote: You’re At Home" campaign, encouraging Poles to take part in the European elections, said the registration procedure for EU nationals was “highly unclear”.

“At the beginning of the campaign we were informed by the Electoral Commission that there is only one form that needs to be filled,” he said, “and only because we were suspicious about it and enquired the London office again, we discovered that there is a UC1 form - a special form for non-UK EU citizens to register for the European elections.”

He added: “The form is not mentioned anywhere on the Electoral Commission website during the registration procedure and if one is not reading the form available on aboutmyvote very carefully, they will never discover that he or she needs to submit something more than that to vote in EP2014 election.”

Peter Trescak, 34, from Watford, said: “As soon as I arrived in Britain I registered to vote here as I’m very political. My partner is British and I’m Slovakian. We both received papers saying we’re registered for the election but I wasn’t allowed to vote. I didn’t know about registering additionally to vote in the European election.”

A spokeswoman for the Electoral Commission said: “It is clear that some EU citizens were unaware that they had to fill in the declaration form, and some have told us that they did not receive one from their Electoral Registration Officer. Our guidance to EROs makes clear that they must send the declaration to those who have indicated on their registration forms that they are an EU citizen. We will be following this up in our post-election review and ensuring that EROs are aware that they must send this form.”