Gorton and Denton By-Election Rocked by Widespread 'Family Voting' Claims
Polls in the crucial Gorton and Denton by-election closed at 10pm on Thursday, February 27, 2026, but controversy erupted immediately with reports of widespread illegal "family voting" emerging. Official election observers from Democracy Volunteers have documented what they describe as the highest levels of family voting in their decade-long history of monitoring UK elections.
Record Numbers of Illegal Voting Practices Observed
Democracy Volunteers, the only group besides police approved to stand inside polling stations, reported witnessing family voting in 15 out of 22 polling stations they monitored across the constituency. With 45 polling stations total in the area, the group's four observers spent 30-45 minutes at each location, observing 545 voters casting their ballots.
The organization recorded 32 specific cases of family voting, with nine incidents occurring at a single polling station alone. This represents approximately 12% of observed voters either causing or being affected by the illegal practice. John Ault, director of Democracy Volunteers, stated: "Today we have seen concerningly high levels of family voting in Gorton and Denton. Based on our assessment, we have seen the highest levels of family voting at any election in our 10-year history."
What Constitutes Illegal Family Voting?
Family voting refers to situations where two voters confer, collude, or direct each other on voting decisions, which violates the 2023 Ballot Secrecy Act. This legislation was specifically designed to protect voter secrecy and prevent coercion at polling stations. The practice undermines the fundamental principle of independent, secret voting that forms the cornerstone of democratic elections.
Lord Hayward, who introduced and steered the Ballot Secrecy Act through Parliament, expressed disappointment at the reports, telling Sky News: "The Ballot Secrecy Act should have stopped such practices. I am very disappointed and will be discussing these details with Democracy Volunteers further."
Stark Contrast with Previous By-Elections
The scale of alleged family voting in Gorton and Denton appears unprecedented when compared to recent elections. Democracy Volunteers reported that during the Westminster parliamentary by-election in Runcorn and Helsby, they observed family voting in just 12% of polling stations, affecting only 1% of voters. In stark contrast, the Gorton and Denton election saw family voting in 68% of observed polling stations, affecting 12% of voters.
John Ault emphasized the unusual nature of their findings: "We rarely issue a report on the night of an election, but the data we have collected today on family voting, when compared to other recent by-elections, is extremely high."
Conflicting Official Responses Emerge
While Democracy Volunteers documented extensive issues, the local council presented a dramatically different account. A spokesperson for the acting returning officer stated: "Polling station staff are trained to look out for any evidence of undue influence on voters. No such issues have been reported today."
The council criticized Democracy Volunteers for not raising concerns during polling hours, noting they operated a central by-election hub that could have addressed issues immediately in liaison with police, who had presence at every polling station. "It is extremely disappointing that Democracy Volunteers have waited until after polls have closed to make such claims," the spokesperson added.
Political Reactions and Allegations of Cheating
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage directly alleged cheating affected the election outcome, posting on social media: "This election was a victory for sectarian voting and cheating. Matt Goodwin was a great candidate for us. Roll on the elections on May 7th."
Cabinet Minister Heidi Alexander expressed concern about the reports, stating: "Clearly the reports that came in overnight are concerning. Elections must be conducted in line with electoral law. People should be able to vote in a free way and not subject to any coercion." She suggested appropriate authorities, including potentially the Electoral Commission, should investigate.
The Greens, who won the by-election, dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. A spokesperson said: "This is an attempt to undermine the democratic result and is straight out of the Trump playbook. We've just won a historic by-election by a comfortable margin."
Official Investigations and Next Steps
The Electoral Commission acknowledged awareness of the report but clarified that electoral offences remain a police matter. A spokesperson stated: "We are aware of the report. Electoral offences are a matter for the police. We encourage anyone who believes an offence has occurred to report it to the police."
Lord Hayward indicated he would discuss the findings with Democracy Volunteers and potentially with the Electoral Commission and government. The controversy raises significant questions about election integrity enforcement and whether existing safeguards adequately protect against family voting practices that compromise ballot secrecy.
As political tensions escalate following the by-election results, the allegations of widespread family voting have cast a shadow over the democratic process in Gorton and Denton, prompting calls for thorough investigation and potential reforms to strengthen electoral oversight mechanisms.
