votes cast will be counted in the way that voters intended
the results you declare are true and accurate
Trust and confidence in the integrity of elections is essential but can be fragile. It will be difficult for you to rebuild trust or confidence which has been lost as a result of allegations or proven cases of fraud.
You should put in place effective strategies for preventing electoral fraud from the outset. You will also need to be prepared to work with the police and prosecutors to subsequently investigate any allegations which might be made.
You should cover your approach to tackling electoral fraud with parties, candidates and agents at briefing sessions and as part of any written information provided to them. You should also invite the police to attend any such briefing sessions and invite them to supply you with any relevant documentation to include in your information pack.
Combined authority and combined county authority mayoral elections
At a combined authority or a combined county authority mayoral election the CARO/CCARO may also share the approach to tackling electoral fraud with parties, candidates and agents at briefing sessions and/or within any written information provided to them. The CARO/CCARO may also consider inviting the police to attend any such briefing sessions.
Cont.
This guidance deals specifically with the risk of electoral fraud in relation to election processes. Information on dealing with integrity issues related to fraudulent registration or absent vote applications can be found in the ERO guidance:
Candidates and their agents must follow rules set out in legislation about how much they can spend at an election. We produce guidance for candidates and agents, parties and non-party campaigners outlining rules on spending.
Any queries on election spending should be referred to the Electoral Commission’s Party Election Finance team via email: [email protected] or telephone: 0333 103 1928