Major concerns raised over voting at Gorton and Denton by-election

LocalPolitics
27 Feb 2026 • 7:06 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • Leading pollster Robert Hayward intends to raise serious concerns about voting in the Gorton and Denton by-election after a critical report from election observers.
  • Democracy Volunteers reported observing illegal 'family voting' in 68 per cent of the 22 polling stations they monitored in the constituency.
  • The practice of 'family voting', where voters confer or direct each other, was made illegal by the Election Bill in 2023.
  • The organisation stated that these were the highest levels of family voting recorded in their 10-year history of observing UK elections.
  • Lord Hayward, who championed the Election Bill, expressed disappointment and plans to discuss the findings with Democracy Volunteers, the Electoral Commission, and the government.

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