Both Reform UK and the Conservative Party have reported allegations of "family voting" to the Electoral Commission and the police following the Gorton and Denton by-election on February 26, 2026.

 

Reform and Tories report ‘family voting’ allegations to watchdog

Both Reform UK and the Conservative Party have reported allegations of "family voting" to the Electoral Commission and the police following the Gorton and Denton by-election on February 26, 2026.

The Allegations: The concerns stem from a report by Democracy Volunteers, an independent observer group, which claimed to witness "concerningly high levels" of family voting—where a voter is influenced or directed by a family member inside the polling booth.

 

Key Findings: The group observed 32 cases of such collusion across 15 of the 22 polling stations they visited, estimating it

affected roughly 12% of observed voters.

Political Response:

Reform UK: Leader Nigel Farage described the result as a "victory for sectarian voting and cheating," specifically citing concerns about the integrity of the process in predominantly Muslim areas.

Conservatives: Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Labour of creating a "monster" by "harvesting" votes that ultimately went to the Green Party.

Labour: Party chairwoman Anna Turley called the reports "extremely worrying" and urged authorities to examine the evidence.

Official Counter-Claims: Manchester City Council disputed the findings, stating that no such issues were reported to polling station staff during the day and expressing disappointment that the observers waited until after polls closed to raise concerns.

Legal Context: Family voting is illegal under the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023, which prohibits two voters from conferring or directing each other in a booth.

The Green Party's Hannah Spencer won the seat with a majority of 4,402, with Reform UK in second and Labour in third.