15 April 2005
In the run-up to the general election on May 5, the Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed that it is already investigating 39 separate cases of possible election fraud.
The ongoing cases include question marks over postal ballots during last year's European elections as well as allegations of fraud over more traditional forms of voting.
In one case in London, an unnamed political party is being investigated after a man turned up to vote during the European elections but found that he had, allegedly, been registered as a postal voter and his ballot already cast.
Other possible frauds included somebody impersonating the real voter and cases of bribery.
In Birmingham, the CPS has instructed police to begin a criminal investigation into six Labour councillors found guilty of 'massive, systematic and organised' postal vote-rigging at last year's local elections.
Election commissioner Richard Mawrey, who upheld the allegations in an inquiry earlier this month, has ordered fresh elections in the affected wards.
A spokesman for the CPS said vote-rigging allegations were common. 'At most elections political parties look into closely contested seats to see if there was anything wrong,' he said.
But as the general election nears, attention is turning to seats where the postal vote is expected to be high, such as Stevenage, where it could reach 50%.
Stevenage Borough Council's chief executive and acting returning officer, Ian Paske, said he was confident things would progress smoothly. 'We do have tried and tested arrangements in place which we will continue to apply,' he said.
Alex Folkes of the Electoral Reform Society said there was a need 'to gain public confidence' in postal voting.
PFapr2005
