Anti-fraud measures called on for postal votes (Birmingham Liberal Democrats)

Birmingham Liberal Democrats <info@birminghamlibdems.org.uk>

Anti-fraud measures called on for postal votes

September 29, 2004 11:56 AM

Birmingham City Council Leaders are asking the Electoral Commission for permission to adopt new anti-fraud measures and tighter checks on the identity of the voters and measures to combat postal vote fraud. Deputy Leader of the Council, Liberal Democrat Councillor John Hemming said "Obviously I would support anything to clean up the electoral process. What we have to do is make sure people are actually casting their own votes and not someone else's."

This June's Local Elections have been the subject of a number of allegations of widespread abuse of postal voting. The High Court has two electoral petitions from Aston and Bordesley Green wards, these have yet to be ruled on.

The Council's working group on electoral matters have called for a number of measures including increased checks of the identity of voters. Amongst the other measures they have called for a general awareness campaign about how local government and local elections work, investigate how citizenship work with young people could be extended to the wider community and to review the use of council leaflets and publications to provide more information about elections, candidates and the voting system.