Greater Manchester Police investigated allegations of illegal family voting in the Gorton and Denton by-election. The police force said there was no remaining reasonable line of inquiry after speaking with observers and obtaining CCTV from three polling stations. Officers noted that observers did not allege any verbal instruction or physical conduct indicating direction or coercion, which is crucial to prove an offence under the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023.
Election observer group Democracy Volunteers claimed to have witnessed illegal family voting in 68% of 22 polling stations monitored during the by-election. According to Democracy Volunteers, they observed the highest levels of family voting at any election in their 10-year history of observing UK elections. It has been claimed that as many as one in eight votes cast in the by-election could be attributed to group voting.
Family voting – where two or more voters confer or collude to direct each other on voting – was made a criminal offence by the 2023 Ballot Secrecy Act.
Manchester council criticized Democracy Volunteers for not raising concerns earlier and said no issues were reported from polling stations on the day of the by-election. Green Party leader Zack Polanski said Manchester City Council has been clear there was no irregularity and police officers were at every polling station.
CCTV limitations significantly impacted the investigation, with 41 out of 45 polling stations approached for CCTV saying they did not have it activated to avoid compromising vote secrecy, in line with advice.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage claimed there had been an establishment whitewash after Greater Manchester Police concluded its investigation. He also said the election was a victory for sectarian voting and cheating.
The Green Party's Hannah Spencer won the Gorton and Denton by-election with 40.7% of the vote and a majority of 4,402. Reform UK candidate Matt Goodwin came second with 28.7% of the vote. Green Party leader Zack Polanski denied claims of family voting and called Nigel Farage a sore loser.
Academic Dr Patrick Nash claimed that cousin marriages in the local Muslim community are a key driver of illegal family voting in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb said the Green Party supports any investigation into alleged breaches of electoral laws in the by-election. She said she is assured by psephologists that family voting would not have changed the election result.
Greater Manchester Police said they will not change the way they police elections following the by-election, as it was effective and within electoral guidelines.
Bolton Council said all polling station staff are trained on regulations preventing influencing voters or joining another voter in the polling booth, and appropriate measures will be taken if breaches are witnessed.
The specific evidence Democracy Volunteers documented to support their claim of witnessing family voting in 68% of polling stations has not been publicly detailed. Similarly, why 41 out of 45 polling stations did not have CCTV activated, and how this impacts the ability to investigate alleged electoral offences, raises questions about evidence collection in future cases.
The basis for Dr Patrick Nash's claim that cousin marriages are a key driver of family voting, and whether there is any corroborating evidence, represents another area requiring further examination. Additionally, what measures, if any, will other Greater Manchester boroughs implement to prevent family voting in future elections beyond Bolton and Bury's statements remains to be seen.
The implications for future prevention measures across Greater Manchester will likely involve discussions between electoral authorities, police, and community representatives. The police investigation's conclusion without evidence of criminal offences may influence these discussions, as authorities balance electoral integrity with practical enforcement challenges.