No evidence of ‘family voting’ in by-election. 5 days ago. Georgie Docker & Rachael LazaroNorth West. EPA. There was “no evidence” of “family voting” or voter coercion at the Gorton and Denton by-election, police have concluded after an investigation.. Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, reported allegations of the illegal practice after the poll last month to Greater Manchester Police and the Electoral Commission.. Family voting is where a family member is seen to be influencing somebody else’s vote, for example by entering the polling booth with them.. GMP said there was “no evidence to suggest any intent to influence or refrain a person from voting as stated in the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023” but Farage called it an “establishment whitewash”.. He hit out at GMP’s decision to close the probe, adding: “This isn’t good enough.. “We need proper oversight, real accountability and the courage to admit when something isn’t right, not another brushed-under-the-carpet report from the usual suspects.”. Following the by-election on 26 February – where Green Party MP Hannah Spencer won the Labour stronghold seat – Farage said there were reports by independent election observers, Democracy Volunteers, of “extremely high” levels of family voting.. A Green Party source told the BBC it was an attempt by Reform to “undermine the result” and was “a petulant refusal to accept a clear outcome”.. But Democracy Volunteers said its report reflected “observations made in good faith by experienced and trained, independent and non-partisan observers on polling day”.. ‘Absence of information’. GMP said it had spoken to officers at all 45 polling stations, none of whom received any reports, other than from Democracy Volunteers.. Out of the 45 polling stations, 41 said they did not have CCTV activated in the building as it would have compromised the secrecy of the vote during polling day, in line with official advice.. Of the CCTV reviewed, police said there was no evidence of anyone directing or coercing another regarding how to vote.. Volunteers were unable to provide descriptions of those allegedly involved, or timings – and no details were documented by observers.. “We have spoken to the four Democracy Volunteers observers present at polling stations on the day of the by-election – 26 February – who have shared with us their eyewitness account,” police said. “This includes some instances of more than one voter going into a booth at the same time, and instances of people looking over the shoulder of voters.. “The information they have provided to us estimates this may have happened on 32 occasions across 15 polling stations.. “The observers do not allege any verbal instruction or physical conduct that indicated one person was directing or coercing another regarding how to vote.”. “The absence of this information means there is no remaining reasonable line of enquiry,” police added.. EPA/Shutterstock. Returning Officer Tom Stannard said he welcomed the conclusion of the crimin
