Electoral fraud fears 'unfounded'

Jenny Watson discusses a report on electoral fraud which shows that fears of widespread abuse are unfounded.

If you believed everything you read about the 2010 general election you might think there is a major problem with electoral fraud in the UK. There isn’t.

The Electoral Commission last week published a report with the Association of Chief Police Officers which, for the first time, gives a detailed analysis of allegations of electoral malpractice at the election. The evidence suggests there were no cases of fraud which would have affected the outcome of elections in individual seats or the national result.

Here are the facts: a total of 232 complaints to police about electoral fraud. Twenty-seven required action from the police, of which just two have resulted in court action, 68 are still under investigation and 137 required no further action whatsoever. In the context of a general election involving over 45 million eligible voters, 4,150 candidates and 135 registered parties, the small number of cases suggests that some of the allegations of widespread abuses have been misplaced.

Of course, we understand the concern about fraud which lies behind such reporting. One fraudulent vote is one too many and we welcome the prison sentences handed out to those found guilty of this crime. We must continue to make sure the system remains safe from abuse. Changes have been made to make postal voting much more secure. Every police force now has an officer who co-ordinates work on electoral fraud, and the Commission has produced clear guidance on how to deal

This co-ordination not only deters fraud by ensuring that accusations will be thoroughly investigated, it also allows for evidencebased assessment of the scale of the problem. We will work with all political parties and independent candidates to make sure they set clear standards for volunteer activists – and to encourage activists to report fraud to the local police if they suspect it.

But there is more the Commission wants to see from government. In the longer term individual rather than household voter registration will improve the security of postal votes and the accuracy of the electoral register.

Now is also the time to reconsider whether voters should be required to bring identification to polling stations in Great Britain – something we asked the government to take forward in our report last summer on the running of the 2010 general election. International observers were shocked at how much our system depends on trust that people are who they say they are. 2011 is a big year for elections and referendums.

Despite what they may have read, people throughout the UK should be confident that their vote counts and elections are secure. We, and the police, will continue to work to make sure that this is so.

Jenny Watson is chair of the Electoral Commission.

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