2018 electoral fraud data

A conviction for false information on a nomination paper

The Metropolitan Police received a report that a Conservative party election agent (who also stood as a candidate) had submitted nomination forms with false signatures for local elections in the London Borough of Hackney. 

The police investigation found that a number of these forms contained the names and signatures of voters who had either been misled into believing they were signing for  a different candidate, or where their name had been entered on the nomination form with someone else’s signature.

Following a police investigation the suspect was found guilty on 11 September 2020 and: 

• sentenced to 6 months in prison, suspended for 18 months
• ordered to complete 200 hours of community service
• ordered to pay a £2,000 fine and court costs 

A conviction for false information on a nomination paper

In June 2018, the Metropolitan Police received a report that a councillor elected in the May elections for the London Borough of Redbridge had made a false declaration about his home address on his nomination form. He did not live in the council area, but pretended he did so he could run as a Labour councillor for the area.   

Following a police investigation he was found guilty on 19 October 2020. On 24 November 2020 he was:

• sentenced to 17 months in prison 
• ordered to pay £18,368 compensation he received in expenses as a councillor since May 2018, £10,000 towards the costs of running the by-election in 2021  to replace him, and £10,000 towards prosecution costs
• barred from standing for election for the next 5 years

A conviction for false information on a nomination paper

Norfolk police received a report that a Conservative party election agent for Norwich City council elections had submitted nomination forms that included forged signatures.

Following a police investigation the suspect was found guilty and:

• fined £300
• ordered to pay victim surcharge of £30
• pay costs of £85

A conviction for a nomination offence

At the local elections in 2018, a Peterborough Green Party candidate pleaded guilty to forging all signatures on his nomination form so that he could stand in the election.

When police questioned him, he admitted it and withdrew his papers before the close of nominations. He didn’t appear on the ballot paper.

He was sentenced to two months in prison, suspended for 12 months.

He was also given 100 hours of community service, and a £200 fine.

A caution for false registration and voting (by post) more than once

At the local elections in 2018, a Labour Party candidate seeking re-election registered to vote at two different addresses in Rochdale.

He applied to vote by post at both addresses and voted twice in the Rochdale council elections.

It is an offence to vote more than once in the same local election area.

The candidate was interviewed by police and admitted he had voted twice. He accepted a caution from police.

A caution for using someone else’s postal vote by mistake

West Yorkshire police received a report that a postal vote cast in the 2018 local elections appeared to have been completed and returned by someone who had died.

Police interviewed the deceased elector’s widow. She had been his sole carer and often did his paperwork. It appeared to be a genuine mistake in the midst of grief.

The widow accepted a conditional caution and wrote a full letter of apology to the Returning Officer.

An unsuccessful election petition

An election petition is a legal challenge to the result of an election.

An unsuccessful candidate at the local elections claimed that the successful candidate had accused him of being a liar and had circulated election material without an ‘imprint’ - details about the printer, promotor, or publisher on election material.

There wasn’t enough evidence to prove the imprint allegation, or that the election material had been produced by the candidate.

False statements about a candidate must relate to the personal character of the candidate and not their political character.

This allegation was based on a difference of opinion and not related to the candidate’s personal character or conduct.

More than half of all reported cases were about campaigning offences. Most of these were allegations about:

• someone making false statements about the personal character or conduct of a candidate
• not including details about the printer, promotor, or publisher on election material - an ‘imprint’

This table shows the number of cases, and types of offences that were investigated in 2018.

Use this table to search for data from specific police forces, by category of offence or outcome.

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