Birmingham election officials have been left red-faced after putting up the wrong posters at ‘one or two’ polling stations during the West Midlands Mayor vote.

A poster outside the polling station at St Martin De Porres School in Moseley incorrectly told visitors to “vote for one candidate only” but everyone has two votes in the new mayoral election.

It seems the posters, which apply to regular council and next month’s general election, were accidentally mixed up.

The West Midlands Mayor election used the supplementary vote system , where you vote for two candidates - ranking them in order of preference.

Poster at St Martin De Porres School in Moseley

A council spokeswoman said that the error had been brought to their attention and officials had gone out to replace the signs.

Birmingham has approximately 380 polling stations.

She said: “It happened at one or two polling stations. The advice posters inside the stations were correct and the instructions are clearly printed on the ballot paper.

After first preference votes are counted the two leading candidates go forward to a second round. The second choices of everyone whose first choice candidate has been eliminated are counted and added to the first round totals for the leading candidates.

Polling stations are open until 10pm today.