Following news that postal voting registration in Birmingham has fallen dramatically after six men were found guilty of vote rigging in a case that the judge said "would disgrace a banana republic", Constitutional affairs minister Bridget Prentice has defended security procedures for postal voting.According to the BBC the number of postal voters has fallen by 22,500 in the Birmingham wards at the centre of allegations after council elections three years ago and two wards, Ashton and Bordesley Green, experienced an 80% drop in voter registration, while in four other wards it has fallen by more than 50%. But Prentice told BBC Radio 4's Today programme she was confident checks introduced this year, requiring postal voters to provide a signature and date of birth, meant the system was as secure as possible for Thursday's election.
She said that rules would be reviewed with the Electoral Commission after this week's elections, but rejected the idea of individual registration (where voters must also provide proof of identity) on the grounds it would cut registration. The Department for Constitutional Affairs had earlier defended security procedures for pilot schemes allowing online voting.
Anti-Fraud Measures "Rule Out 2% Of Postal Votes"
Postal Voting "As Secure As Possible"
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