Cracking down on voter fraud

The vast majority of votes cast in British elections are honest.

However, there have been people in all the political parties who have been convicted of trying to steal elections by voter fraud.

It's totally unacceptable whoever does it and we need to make sure rigorous checks are in place to prevent electoral fraud so we can be certain that our election results genuinely reflect how real electors voted.

It needs to be done in a way which provides maximum protection against fraud while giving every genuine elector a fair chance to cast their vote.

it is noteworthy that almost all the political parties and factions which have attacked the government's attempts to protect against electoral fraud and misrepresented them as "voter suppression, themselves require proof of identity and/or membership to attend their own meetings and vote in their own elections. 

It is a bit rich for parties which require proof of ID to vote in their own elections and selection of candidates to object when the nation asks for similar proof of identity from people who are voting in the actual elections in which those candidates are standing.

At least some of the allegations of Russian meddling in UK elections and referemda turned out to be baseless, but it would be unwise to assume that certain regimes would not attempt to meddle in UK elections and votes if they thought they could get away with it. We need defences which can defeat and protect against any such attempts at outside interference. 

So this week the government introduced an Elections Bill in Parliament, which will strengthen the integrity of UK elections and ensure our democracy remains fair and transparent.

  • Our democracy is precious, and to continue to protect it, we need to update our laws to ensure they are fit for purpose and in line with the modern world.

  • The Elections Bill introduced this week, which will deliver on our manifesto pledges by providing more protections for candidates and voters from abuse or intimidation, increasing the transparency and accountability of online and third-party campaigners, and cracking down on voter fraud with ID requirements and safeguards for postal voting.

  • The bill will update and protect our globally respected democracy while making it more inclusive, so that that every voter is able to make their choices freely, securely and in an informed way.

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