No evidence of widespread electoral malpractice, says report

There is no evidence of widespread or systematic attempts to undermine elections or referendums in 2011, a report from the Electoral Commission and Chief Police Officers has claimed.

The fourth annual study of alleged electoral malpractice found that:

• More than 39 million votes were cast during the relevant electoral period (5 April to 20 August 2011) but just 224 cases of alleged electoral practice were reported to police;
• None of the cases had been shown to have affected the outcome of any election or referendum;
• Of these cases, 192 were reported in England, six in Scotland, six in Wales and 20 in Northern Ireland;
• No further police action was required in 99 cases “because no offence was found, there was no evidence of electoral malpractice, or it was not possible to detect the individual who might have committed an offence”;
• As of 31 December 2011, court proceedings had been initiated in one case of alleged personation at a polling station, and one case relating to a campaign leaflet imprint offence had been resolved with a caution;
• The outcome in 61 cases was informal advice being given by the police following investigation;
• As of 31 December 2011, 61 cases remained under investigation or were awaiting advice from prosecutors;
• Campaigning offences, such as false statements made about a candidate, were the most frequent type of allegations made over the election period.

The report is put together by the Electoral Commission, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland (ACPOS).

Its findings come despite public perceptions that electoral fraud is a major issue. Electoral Commission research published this month has suggested that 36% of people believe electoral fraud is a ‘very big’ or ‘fairly big’ problem. The Commission said it would be conducting further research to better understand voters’ concerns.

Jenny Watson, Chair of the Electoral Commission, said: ”The evidence suggests that proven cases of electoral fraud are rare. But this is a serious issue and nobody should be complacent: more can and should be done to prevent electoral malpractice.”

Watson said the Commission welcomed Government plans to introduce individual electoral registration in Great Britain.

“This will strengthen our electoral system and reduce the risk of fraud,” she argued. “We also want the Government to make progress in reviewing whether voters should provide identification at polling stations.”

Assistant Chief Constable Gary Cann said: "As well as demonstrating that electoral malpractice allegations remain at a low level, this report shows how seriously the police take these allegations.”