Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to amend electoral law to introduce statutory guidance for Returning Officers to protect the secrecy of the ballot in polling stations, including steps to stop practices of so-called family voting.

The Electoral Commission is responsible for providing Returning Officers with guidance on the administration of elections; they provide extensive advice, including how polling staff should respond if they suspect offences are being committed, such as family voting. The Commission’s performance standards for Returning Officers also specifically include ensuring polling stations are set up and staff are trained to support voters to vote independently and in secret.

While the vast majority of people vote lawfully, any instance of coercion into revealing the nature of somebody’s ballot is illegal, unacceptable and undermines confidence in our democratic process. We will continue to work with electoral administrators and the Electoral Commission to ensure that that our polls are run smoothly, fairly, and securely.