Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role the police played in the prevention of electoral fraud at the General Election in (1) areas identified as being at particular risk of fraud, and (2) other areas.

At elections in the UK, the police are responsible for ensuring that electors’ democratic rights are upheld. The police are also responsible for investigating all allegations of electoral fraud.

The previous Government made an additional £500,000 available to 17 local authorities identified as being at greater risk of electoral fraud and the majority of these worked with the police in some capacity. Initiatives included police analysis of data to identify potential issues and providing a greater police presence before and during the poll. Feedback from Returning Officers has been positive.