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Concern over postal vote fraud loopholesMichael White, political
editor Tuesday June 5, 2001
Fresh concern emerged
yesterday over the vulnerability to significant electoral fraud of the new
and more widespread use of postal ballots - at least 2m of which are
expected to be cast by Thursday.
A former speaker of the Commons, Lord Weatherill, gave weight to an
investigation by the BBC which suggested that new legislation makes it
much easier to obtain postal votes by deception.
A claim by Radio 4's Today programme that a reporter had managed to
obtain postal votes for five dead people in the ultra-marginal Liberal
Democrat seat of Torbay prompted the local council to threaten the BBC
with legal action.
However, the reporters said the votes would not be used and that none
of the parties in the Devon resort had been involved in any such activity.
The Liberal Democrat majority is just 12.
The Electoral Reform Society is already investigating the consequences
of the 2000 Representation of the People Act which encourages voters to
obtain postal ballots without having to provide a special reason, such as
absence on business.
Sam Younger, chairman of the electoral commission, which oversees
elections, is also alarmed about "the greater possibility of fraud this
time".
Persistent claims that there has been a marked increase in "granny
farming" - the mass use of postal votes in old people's homes - have gone
hand in hand with confirmed reports that a mixture of active political
parties and zealous local authorities have pushed the share of postal
votes up from 1% or less to 25% in some areas, such as Stevenage.
The Home Office minister, Mike O'Brien, said any evidence of fraud
would be investigated, but the Tory chairman, Michael Ancram, suggested
the system was "overloaded" and needs review.
Lord Weatherill echoed the concern when he said he had received
ministerial assurances "that the election registration officers will check
applicants for postal votes are legitimate and there would be a proper
declaration of identity."
Backing calls for a major inquiry, Lord Weatherill said: "It does
appear that this is not exactly true."
Interactive guide Related articles
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Want to help stop electoral fraud? Send $25 subscription to
The H. S. Chapman Society, G.P.O. Box 2391, Sydney, N.S.W., 2001, Australia
http://www.hschapman.org.au/
Copied, but many links deleted, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4198087,00.html
Sinn Fein accused of electoral fraud http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4198856,00.html
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