Following Reform UK’s allegations, police have determined that there is no evidence of family voting in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Democracy Volunteers, an election observer group, raised concerns about high levels of family voting during the election. Family voting involves two voters collaborating or influencing each other’s voting decisions, which is considered illegal.
Nigel Farage, leader of the party that did not win the election, highlighted the accusations made by Reform UK and reported instances of family voting to the authorities. In the February by-election, Reform UK’s candidate Matt Goodwin secured second place with 28.7% of the votes, while the Green Party’s Hannah Spencer emerged victorious with 40.7% of the votes, holding a lead of 4,402 votes.
In a statement released by Greater Manchester Police on Friday, they stated, “We have completed our investigation into alleged ‘family voting’ during last month’s Gorton and Denton by-election and found no evidence of any attempts to influence or prevent individuals from voting.”
The police clarified that the observers from Democracy Volunteers did not witness any verbal instructions or physical actions indicating coercion in voting practices. Such evidence is crucial in proving an offense under the law.
Although the police obtained CCTV footage from three polling stations visited by Democracy Volunteers and interviewed the presiding officers, no evidence of directing or coercing voters was found. The lack of documented descriptions or identities hindered further investigation.
The controversy surrounding family voting allegations arose on the night of the by-election, with claims from Democracy Volunteers about the practice being observed in multiple polling stations.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski dismissed the allegations, stating that there was no substantiated evidence and criticized the media for sensationalizing the issue. He suggested that the accusations were unfounded and fueled by fear of change within the political establishment.
The police investigation into the allegations of voter influencing under the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023 was initiated based on a report from Reform UK and statements from Democracy Volunteers. Eyewitnesses reported instances of multiple voters entering booths simultaneously and individuals peering over voters’ shoulders at polling stations.
Despite reviewing the observations provided by Democracy Volunteers and interviewing key personnel, including Presiding Officers and the Acting Returning Officer, no further criminal reports or evidence were presented to support the claims of family voting.
For a successful investigation, the police require concrete evidence of intent or actions aimed at influencing the voting process. Lack of detailed descriptions and identification of suspects hindered the inquiry, and the absence of time-stamped votes in CCTV footage posed challenges in identifying individuals involved in the alleged incidents.
Most polling stations did not have activated CCTV on the day of the election to preserve voter confidentiality. Despite examining footage from a few selected stations, no evidence supporting the claims of family voting was found.
The police have shared their findings with the Electoral Commission and the Returning Officer, updating the complainant on the investigation’s progress and its ultimate conclusion.
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