Farage Calls for Changes to Voting Eligibility and Postal Voting
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has expressed distrust in the current voting system and has advocated for reforms regarding voter eligibility in general elections as well as stricter criteria for postal voting.
Farage proposed that Commonwealth citizens should no longer have the right to vote in general elections. Additionally, he suggested that postal votes should be limited to individuals with a "good reason," such as being elderly, working abroad, or being on holiday on election day.
During a press conference held in London, Farage criticized postal voting, describing it as "massively open to fraud and intimidation," and argued that postal votes should represent only 1-2% of the total votes cast.
At the previous general election, over 25% of votes were cast via postal ballots.
Currently, voters can apply for a postal vote if it is more convenient than attending a polling station on election day.
Eligibility to vote in UK Parliamentary elections requires a person to be either a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland.
A qualifying Commonwealth citizen is defined as an individual who either has leave to enter or remain in the UK or does not require such leave.
Farage stated that under Reform UK's proposals, Irish citizens would retain their voting rights in UK general elections, but he advocated removing voting rights from Commonwealth citizens.
"Commonwealth voting was never really a problem until the age of mass immigration.
It has now been impacting on our elections for a very, very long time.
I do believe for national elections they should be voted in by British voters only... otherwise we get a really very, very perverse influence on our politics."
In articles published in the Sunday Telegraph and Mail on Sunday, Farage described postal voting as having turned elections into a "laughing stock."
Concerns Raised Over Family Voting at Recent By-Election
Farage's call for electoral reform follows concerns raised during the Gorton and Denton by-election about "family voting," a practice where a family member influences another's vote, sometimes by accompanying them into the polling booth.
After polls closed in the Greater Manchester by-election on Thursday, Democracy Volunteers, a group of voluntary election observers, issued a statement reporting the highest level of family voting they had observed in their 10-year history of monitoring UK elections.
The group noted family voting occurred at 68% of polling stations in the constituency, a significant increase compared to 12% observed at a recent by-election in Runcorn and Helsby.
Democracy Volunteers' 2022 report indicated family voting was observed in 25% of all polling stations across the UK, with 21% in England, 42% in Northern Ireland, 19% in Scotland, and 34% in Wales.
A 2016 United Nations Development Programme report described family voting as "commonly practised in jurisdictions that have a tradition of an extended and/or customary family structures that allow the dominant member of the family to take important decisions."
It added that family voting "often stops women from casting a vote of their own choice. In many situations, while the woman physically casts her own vote, she is under a strong cultural expectation to obey her husband or father and vote for the candidate or party that she has been instructed to vote for."
A spokesperson for the official overseeing the Gorton and Denton by-election stated that "no such issues" had been reported by polling station staff and suggested that Democracy Volunteers should have raised any concerns during polling hours.
Both Reform UK and the Conservative Party have requested the Electoral Commission to investigate the matter.
Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley described the reports of family voting as "extremely worrying and concerning."
The Electoral Commission has responded that it takes the claims "very seriously" and will "carefully consider" the report.
Upcoming Parliamentary Debate on Representation of the People Bill
On Monday, Members of Parliament are scheduled to debate the Representation of the People Bill, legislation the government states will enhance the postal voting system to be "more resilient and responsive."
The bill proposes to facilitate the reissuing of postal votes and allow voters to switch voting methods in specific circumstances, such as when their postal vote has not been received.
The Conservative Party opposes the bill, arguing it "opens the door to electoral fraud."
Conservative shadow communities secretary Sir James Cleverly has called for the provisions in the bill to be paused until a review of foreign interference in British politics is completed.
