Campaigners have warned the case for voter ID is getting ‘weaker by the day’ after new figures show there were only eight allegations of personation fraud last year.
Figures from the Electoral Commission show personation fraud at the polling station accounted for eight out of the 266 allegations made last year. No further action was taken for seven of these, and one allegation was resolved locally.
The Commission found ‘no evidence of large-scale electoral fraud’ relating to the 2018 electoral cycle.
The Electoral Reform Society said the findings show the Government should scrap proposed changes to voter ID laws.
Darren Hughes, chief executive of ERS, said: ‘As the Electoral Commission make clear, there is no evidence of widespread electoral fraud in the UK. Rather than using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, the government should deal with the real democratic problems we face.
‘Despite most electoral offences being committed by parties rather than voters, it is innocent voters who lose out when the government locks ordinary people out of democracy – and millions risk being excluded from our politics because of this dangerous voter ID policy.’
