FIVE police investigations have been launched over allegations of fraud in local elections amid claims that the system is “wide open” to abuse.
Six people have been arrested and appeals have been made for suspects allegedly impersonating voters. Police inquiries are under way in Kirklees in West Yorkshire, Peterborough and London.
Postal votes on demand have led to a surge in the number of electors who are sent ballot papers. In some areas up to 45% of voters use them.
Police have launched an investigation in Kirklees after allegations of fraud in Dewsbury. Khizar Iqbal, a Conservative councillor who lost his Dewsbury South seat in the Kirklees council election, said: “There was a late surge in applications for postal votes and I have reported fraud. In one case a family turned up to vote and were told their votes had already been cast by postal ballot. They were very upset.”
Postal votes are already being investigated by the Metropolitan police after six Labour councillors in Tower Hamlets, east London, raised concerns about the number of people who had signed up for them. The councillors said postal votes in a by-election were cast by residents who no longer lived at the addresses provided.
The complaint came after an investigation by Peter Golds, the Conservative council leader, who revealed that some homes in east London have up to 16 “ghost voters” who should not be on the electoral roll. Many of the names have now been removed.
“Postal votes on demand undermines the secrecy of the ballot and leaves the system wide open to fraud,” Golds said.
Police in Peterborough made four arrests in an operation for last week’s elections. A 31-year- old man was questioned and released on bail on Wednesday and another three arrests were made as voters went to the polls on Thursday.
In Liverpool police are investigating claims that the BNP candidate in the city’s mayoral elections faked signatures and misled residents into signing nomination papers. Mike Whitby, 59, was arrested at his home in north Wales last Monday and was bailed pending inquiries.
David Jones, 26, a candidate for the British People’s party, a far-right group, at Calderdale council in West Yorkshire, was arrested last month on suspicion of electoral fraud. He was also bailed pending inquiries.
The Electoral Commission said last week that stronger safeguards were needed against fraud: “We have been calling for years for a more stringent system that would mean every person would be responsible for getting on to the electoral system themselves rather than the current household system. We hope such changes will be announced in time for the next general election.”
Source: Sunday Times (£)
Note how they throw in a couple of "far-right" candidates at the end to make it look like it's not a Muslim problem. They even tell us their names, but for some reason feel the need to conceal the names of the others who've been arrested. Why?
H/T
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