MPs urge new anti-vote fraud move

MPs want checks on the Royal Mail's deliveries

New anti-fraud measures are needed to ensure any spread in all-postal voting does not increase abuse, an influential committee of MPs has said.

All-postal voting is being trialled in the North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the East Midlands for the 10 June elections.

The MPs say ministers should then make a "firm decision" on wider use.

There is no hard evidence of all-postal polls cause more fraud, they say, but voters should register individually.

The Electoral Reform Society is among groups claiming that all-postal votes are "wide open to abuse".

The Commons committee on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister instead argues it poses no greater fraud risk than traditional voting methods.

But to ensure fraud does not increase, their report recommends a string of measures, including the introduction of individual voter registration.

It is important for the future of democracy that the police take any allegations of electoral fraud seriously Andrew Bennett Committee chairman

Under current laws, one person in each household signs to register the rest of the people living there.

The proposed new system, also advocated by the elections watchdog, would require each voter's signature and a numerical identifier - perhaps a date of birth or national insurance number.

Instead of voters needing a witness to sign their voting form, they would sign it themselves and provide their identification number, which could be electronically checked.

Rising turnout

The MPs stress the move to individual registration must be managed carefully to prevent voters "falling off" the voting rolls.

Committee chairman Andrew Bennett said the pilots of all-postal voting which had already taken place appeared to have increased turnout.

But there should be no more pilots until the government has decided whether to change the voter registration scheme.

Other measures recommended are:

• Giving election officers more resources to check signatures on ballot papers

• Creating a national database to record claims of electoral offences

• Giving police search and arrest powers for investigating alleged offences.

There are worries postal votes increase the chances of people trying to pressure other members of their families about their voting choices.

The MPs push for the law on "undue pressure" to be clarified.

Mr Bennett said cases of attempted fraud seemed to have increased over recent years.

"It is important for the future of democracy that the police take any allegations of electoral fraud seriously," he said.

"Together with returning officers and the Crown Prosecution Service, they have a responsibility to ensure that any hint of electoral fraud is swiftly and rigorously investigated, regardless of the election result."

Election officers say they find it increasingly difficult to deliver ballot papers with the rise in the number of houses in multiple occupation.

The MPs say they are also worried the public might not think the postal service reliable or secure.

"It is therefore vital that the Royal Mail's audit trail is rigorous and transparent," they argue.

It recommends using "seeded" ballots - where they can check they have been received - to monitor that Royal Mail meets a target of delivering 100% of ballot papers securely and accurately.

The MPs also accused the government of "poor management" of the arrangements for this June's postal pilots, especially for taking too long to send out the details laws governing the trials.

'Undemocratic'

Meanwhile, The Green Party has slammed postal voting as "undemocratic and socially divisive".

Commenting on the MPs report, the party's regional affairs spokesperson Nic Best said: "People will be voting in these four regions as much as ten days before the national campaigns climax.

"Yet poll results suggest that sharp swings can take place up to 12-24 hours before the election as a result of the way campaigns climax."

The party is also worried postal voting will discriminate against people whose first language is not English.