@A Walton, Leicester, England "I suggest we let the Americans supervise the elections."

You want MY GOVERNMENT to supervise your elections? Are you insane? Remember GWB in 2000? We can't end fraud in our own election system let alone someone elses.

Headline - GWB Elected PM of UK.

Michael E., Washington D.C., US

this undermines the democracy in this country .it means that an unpopular party can get into power.and the fact that the government has/is ignoring what the council of europe and the ,more importantly, electoral commission has said - makes it sound like sounds like they want this.

daniel pirozzolo, mayland, essex

Given all the fraud and gerrymandering that now pervades the electoral system, isn't it odd that the Conservatives, the alleged opposition, supposedly there to hold the government to account, doesn't do more to highlight and oppose these abuses? Perhaps they don't care?

ian, marlborough, England

We don't have postal voting. The ballot box is taken to the homes of the elderly and infirm on the day (if they had requested it) by council workers and volunteer party inspectors. Photo ID has to be shown. We value our new democracy and no politicians dare to tinker around with the voting system.

Hettie, Budapest, Hungary

How many reports in 04 was there about Liebours vote frauds, let alone this year in places like Bradford and several other places.
Admittedly theres been a few conservative ones aswell,
Sounds like making your excuses for massive defeat before the event if nothing else.

Tony Winchester, Essex, Britain

This Gov. has some neck, pontificating about fair elections in fine democratic states like um, Pakistan? Zimbabweewee?Venezuela? and similar (Peterborough for instance). Where are the reassuring banalities of say Brown, Blears or (God help us) Balls- telling us that our fears are groundless?.
Yuk!

Robin Priest, Cambridge, Cambs

Generals, If we Know what is going on, you must do. Do it Now Generals.

Give us our country back.

This is Madness.

Adrian Peirson, luton, Beds

I applied for a Postal Vote at the last EU elections, ans I was away from home, and was staggered at the lack of security and proof of identity. This Government has had 4 years to fix this and has done nothing. At the very least postal vote applications must have a rigorous identity check included..

KW, Bognor Regis , ENGLAND

I agree, mass immigration and a postal voting system, looks like Labour are gonna be in power as long as this system stays in place.

Laura, Manchester, UK

If the postal vote does not represent a similar percentage to the normal vote then its a fraud and should be investigated!!

tertence, rainhill, England

Mass immigration and a postal voting system wide open to corruption.This is Labour's for recipe remaining in power against the wishes of the English.You will see the policy at its most effective in London on Thursday.

erica, Newport, england

Perhaps Mr Mugabe will be elected Mayor of London

John Stephens, London,

We have gone to postal voting on a large scale in the
United States. Those of us in the trenches of America
smell a rat. However, the state houses and DC feel it
is spreading the enfrichesment to those who would otherwise
not vote. Graveyards for example.

Mike Flanagan, Thomaston, Maine USA

its over for brown

John, Leicester, England

How many times does it need to be shown that postal voting is inherently unsafe? It is easy to corrupt, and removes the crucial safeguard of a secret vote.

Pauline Renton, Camberley, UK

Three years ago during local elections, an elderly relative of mine who was too unwell to vote, had her postal vote sent in by her son who told me he voted BNP as a protest.

I know for a fact, she would NEVER have voted BNP.

I suspect this sort of thing goes on all the time.

David Franks, Chonburi, Thailand

I've an awful feeling that we might have a Zimbabwe situation with Labour refusing to admit defeat as a result of this news

GRV, Brixham, Devon

How dare Gordon Brown criticise the election in Zimbabwe when he presides over and tacitly endorses this shambles?

Kevin, Northampton, England

But this is simply helping New Labour voters who otherwise wouldn't be able to vote in large numbers!

Austin Tassletine, South West, UK

Postal ballots help many people vote who would not be able to go to polling stations. Although the concept of postal voting goes against the notion of a secret ballot, it does benefit many people. I think we just need better monitoring of the process. Do not be ignorant and blame immigration/custom.

Elizabeth Nuttall, London, UK

The solution is simple; make it law that all workers have the morning off to go and vote. Have a tear off slip on the ballot paper that they must take back to work to prove that they went and voted. Easy!!

Keith, Newcastle, England

Simon and the article said show photo identification to get a ballot paper. Great idea except one problem, you immedietely disenfranchise those people without photo id. Which i am one of those.

Nicola Clubb, bournemouth,

Why not have telephone or text voting....that should get even the laziest beggars to vote.....and oh yes, it should still be open to fraud. The calls/txt could be charged at £1 and the winner of the election gets to keep "the pot".

That's that problem solved....NEXT!

Rumbold, High Wycombe, England

That's the result of living in a third world country

James, Pulborough, West Sussex

Typically of a banana republic, we will shortly not be able to aford the bananas.

tim holden, budleigh salterton,

The only thing missing is Robert Mugabe and his Electoral Commission overviewing the fairness of the elections on May 1st.

We've all known for many a year how distorted and untruthful certain election results in certain areas have been...it's fraud and our parliament has known this for years!

David Downes, Chester, UK

How very convenient, one way to get the result you desire.. bit like Mugabe....

Graham, Littlehampton,

The nigtmare for politicians is that we the electorate show our disdain dy abstaining from voting and thus undermine the process that legitimises them.Hence casual postal voting. Labour seem to have a paticular horror of this, or do they calculate they are more likely to benifit from fraud ?

robert everitt, wolverhampton,

Hmmmm.....seems we have the same problem as many African states, the loser (oops...potential loser) cries foul.

Keith, Oxford, England

To apply for a postal vote I, an honest voter, had to ring a certain number to get the form, fill in the form and then post it all within a short space of time. However, every time I rang the number it was engaged! The deadline has now passed and I have been disenfranchised by busy phones.

Suzanne, London,

What next? Debauch the currency? Use taxpayers money to employ MPs family members and buy houses? Prosecute litter louts as terrorists? Detain people without trial? Appoint our PM without an election? ZANU-LABOUR have already done it.

John Smith, manchester, UK

Labour won’t do anything about vote rigging as it works in their favour; this speaks volumes about that party.

The way out of this mess and to get our country back and the decency that goes with it is to vote for the BNP.

Peter, London,

No wonder I received bus passes for three people. The first for a previous tenant who died 3 years ago, the second for a more recent previous tenant and eventually the third for myself but only after chasing the Council even though I had informed of my new address for the electoral roll.

David, Scarborough,

How soon is Rory Bremner going to do an impression of G. Brown, doing and impression of a Prime Minister, doing and impression of Rory Bremner....and so on?

Derek Clifton, Andover, Hampshire, England

Comrades, be reasonable. The fraudent votes are benefitting us, so of course we don't want to see the system tightened up. Our spokespersons are ready to refute any accusations and swiftly neutalise any danger to the 'cattle vote', so we should return to power, no problem.

A.P. Paratchik, Erewhon,

What General Election in 2010? Does anyone seriously think that Brown will not find some way to justify prolonging his occupation of No. 10 by the simple expedient of not holding an election?

Not that it matters, anyhow. We are already 90% governed by those nice people in Brussels.

John, Stepney, England

An elderly aquaintance gets a Postal Vote each time there is an Election, as she cannot get to the Polling Station. Strange how she manages to get to the supermarket and hairdressers each week by car, courtesy of her daughter or grand-daughter! STOP POSTAL VOTES.

Anil Chatterjee, Manchester,

Zanu-Liebour have 'wrecked' everything they ever touched!. It's no surprise then, that we can't even trust our own electoral system anymore! "Where do we go from here ?"

St George, Liverpool, 'ENGLAND'

Just stop postal voting being offered. That will cut out any chance of fraud. This must be done for any future election to ensure fairplay. There can be no other alternative.

Norman, London, UK

That is his pre-election excuse for failing.
I think he has listened to Rob Mugabe once to often.
Someone should point out that we are not an African republic, and that lame reason will not cut it with the most simplest of the British public, who he has not managed to alienate yet.

Mark, Yorkshire,

Debase the currency
Debase the education system
Debase the legal system
Debase our rights
Debase politics
Debase civil servants
Debase public debate
Debase the union
Debase our national pride
Debase the country...

Decree a state of emergency - stay in power until dragged out screaming.

Father Ignatius Brown, London, England

Given electoral fraud, where it has been proven, typically occurs in Labour controlled councils or constituencies, then it is no surprise the labour government has done little to change systems to make fraud more difficult.

Peter, London,

In May 2000 my parents had difficulty voting in local elections.Unbeknown to them someone had their proxies. They had signed what they believed to be postal voting applications and ended up with proxies and my father's signature was forged. Police investigated but CPS refused to prosecute.

Mary Hodge, St Ives, Cambs

A judge declared that electoral fraud in Birmingham would shame a Banana republic - the government blatantly refused to take any decisive action then.

This is because a corrupt government will do absolutely anything to remain in power as we now see in Zimbabwe.

We deserve better.

Jason Mead, Bristol, England

Beware of seditious statements my friends. You ARE being watched... :O)

Bruce Haig, Frankfurt,

There must be a strong suspicion that the Government's reluctance to address this issue is because it benefits from a degraded electoral register - political corruption being a logical extension of the client state.

Is this not also an example of the communalism about which Enoch Powell warned?

Mark Demmen, Bath,

I think we all know why the electoral turnout is low - I could be enormously wealthy if I were given a couple of quid for everyone that tells me they don't vote because "they (MPs) are all the same"! This is not to mean that their policies are the same but refers to their integrity and motives.

Jim Golightly, Prudhoe, England

Amazing how all these discussions bring the racists crawling out of the woodwork. All the parties have been convicted of fraud. I would change election dates to weekends and have them running over 2 days. But there will always be bloc voting as there was in English rural villages in subservient days

Mike Homfray, Liverpool,

Unless you are in the armed forces, there is absolutely no need for a postal vote that I can see. What appears to be incompetence and unconcern amongst ministers now actualy appears to be something much more sinister to many people.

David Nammory, Liverpool,

Re: Postal Voting

Envelope A (supposed to be sealed) had no glue on it in Weymouth & Portland. I returned it in Envolope B after using UHU glue to secure A's flap securely. When this was pointed out to woman on reception desk in Borough Council office she said "That's OK. We've had all sorts)!

Martha Drew, Weymouth, Dorset

Postal voting does not merely disenfranchise women in Muslim households. It confiscates their vote and awards it to the senior male. Is anyone surprised that Labour introduced easy postal voting?

If anyone is interested in stopping our country going down the tubes, we should ban all absentee voting

Martin, Bracknell, Berkshire

In one electoral ward WITHOUT a significant immigrant population door to door a canvassing exercise indicated over half those on the electoral register no longer lived in the area, if they ever had. Over half the current residents were not on the register. Well done the Rowntree Trust.

Philip Virgo, London, UK

If people can not be bothered to go to the polling station they do not deserve a vote. Only the very sick or infirmed should have a postal vote.

Tony , Dartford, Kent

The traditional system of paper and pen is expensive to run but does have the advantage that it works in amore or less fair & straightforward manner. The cheapest form of election, that economists might favour, is to have the ruling party determine who wins and then announce it...

kevin, Lincoln, UK

''up to a third of eligible voters may be missing from the roll. ''

Surly the person who considers there are a third more people to vote... could do a good deed and hand over there list of extra voters... it seems such a shame to keep it to themselves

'migrants' =perhaps these are illegal

Nicholas Iles, Oswestry, Shropshire

"I don't believe it". Mugabe has transformed himself into GB. The postal vote was brought in by NuLAB and it has so far served them, their councillors etc. very well indeed, unless they are found out, but the moment it looks like the conservatives have a chance there is the possibility of fraud.

Yorkie, Amsterdam,

An hereditary head of state, a nominated first minister from a party that reneges on its manifesto promises, engages in war on fallacious bases, legislates in a way our legal system cannot prosecute, manipulates its central bank, stuffs supporters' pockets - who needs elections, under Fyffes' Law!

Mike L, Chippenham, Wilts

These are just the types of fraud the government was warned about in evidence given by myself and others to the parliamentary select committee before widespread postal voting was introduced. Unfortunately, the committee was more interested in scoring political points than listening to warnings.

Mark Croucher, Dartford, Kent,

Voting Fraud.

Inflation Fraud

Cheap Money Fraud

Tax Fraud ( by tax dept)

Privacy Invasion

Rip off road and fuel taxes

NO money for road repairs fraud

Supermarket fraud

We live in a giant web of theft and corruption all approved by the labour government

We pay taxes and get nothing back

dave, Chester, Cheshire,

The socialists will stay in power because they do not care if the voting system is rigged as it appears to always benefit them. No wonder Brown and Livingstone seem so nonchalant.

And Brown dares to point a finger at Mugabe, what utter hypocrisy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Richard K, Nottingham,

"We need to remember that fraud is more associated to socialist /commie and marxist governments .
you know the ones that don't let the public decide "

Um remember how G W Bush got in the 1st time round?

raymond, the norf, uk

'The report criticises the state of the country’s electoral registers..often includes voters who are dead, fictitious.... In some areas...up to a third of eligible voters may be missing from the roll. '
Zimbabwe? No and nor is it a platform from which an unelected leader can criticise another.

m collins, Leeds,

Brown complains about election fraud in Zimbabwe, but doesn't seem concerned enouigh to stop it here. Guess it all depends on who the fraud benefits. Surprised?

Mike, Midlands, UK

The electoral fraud scams that have come to light from :~ Slough, Tower Hamlets, Peterborough, Bradford & Birmingham all have ONE common factor - Work it out !!!!!

hackneyboy, herts,

"It's not the people who vote that count. It's the people who count the votes." (Josef Stalin)
Believe it, suckers.

Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Japan

I'm sure it's the same in most towns, but some parts of Reading's electoral roll could qualify for the Booker Prize.

Warren, Reading, UK

We need to remember that fraud is more associated to socialist /commie and marxist governments .
you know the ones that don't let the public decide .

Tony Winchester, Essex, G.B.

Three years ago a senior judge, after finding six Labour councillors in Birmingham guilty of carrying out "massive, systematic and organised" postal voting fraud, said our electoral system was worse than a banana republic.

Labour will cling to power any way they can. Democracy is almost dead here.

Ros, Surrey,

As an expat voter I think the govt are whipping this thing up to deny us our votes.

Could the fact that a certain party with 3 letters in its initials which is having a campaign at present to get expats to register to vote be the reason?

Ben in Australia, Queensland, Australia

Could we please bring some electoral supervisors in from Iraq or Zimbabwe? They need the money and seem to have more idea of running a fair election under pressure than we do.

Frank Upton, Solihull,

I suggest we let the Americans supervise the elections.
Brown and the Labour party not only talk with fork tongues, but increasingly with empty heads.
Hello Gordan - anyone at home

A Walton, Leicester, England

Our soldiers in Iraq died and many maimed so that there could be free and fair elections.
Meanwhile, back home the principle of one man one vote is not being defended. Do our brave soldiers know this? This is a disgraceful state of affairs and the government should hang its head in shame.

David Fallon, Macclesfield, uk

If you're prepared to notify others of your bank pin number then you're open to fraud. Tthere's something wrong with your logic.
The only difference between Brown and Mugabe is that the former doesn't use storm troops to get his way.

Trevor Dee, Torbay, UK

And see here the problems of a nation where people don't have to register themselves (with ID!) with a council when they move/ are born.

All my European friends are shocked as well that there is no official registry for the people living in a council.

Jan de B., the Netherlands,

There is Gordon Brown demanding democracy in far away place,yet playing dirty with his own electorate.
The Council of Europe report should raise alarms bells.Why don't the U.K presss latch onto this rather than spending time worrying about who slept with who and what they got up to?

James, London, U.K

Welcome to the Banana Republic !!!!!

Ian Payne, WALSALL,

I have a simple solution. Link the electronic voting system to our bank account. Then we can go to the ATM, type in our pin code and vote.

Hamad Lone, London, England

Would be good to have a secret ballot, but The Party runs the system for its own advantage. We serfs are Subjects of The Party which cannot be elected in free and fair elections.

Britain has evolved into a Bureaucratic State with a permanent elite in control - three factions of same grouping

TomTom, Leeds, England

Brown has been taking lessons from Mugabe,
Britain is getting into a third world country

mikw, cyprus,

Now we know how the ID Card will be justified.

michael murphy, brightlingsea, england

Our voting system is worse than third world country style. At least there you see people queueing, which we should do here. The independent electoral commission that oversees all national votes should say NOW whether the system is honest and reliable and not nearer the general election.

Tom, Lichfield,

Is this why Ken is said to be looking "strangely calm and confident"?

W Martin, Tenterden, UK

Labours Mugabe Strategy. Oh yes it is.

roger sykes, christchurch,

Why is someone not asking the question "WHY"?

Graham, Coventry,

I will guess that its mainly asian candidates and voters
next it will be east europeans these people come from
societies where corruption and fraud are a normal way of life

John Cochrane, North Shields, England

Unless I suffer loss of memory, this voting fraud is a fairly new crime in Britain...Is it in anyway connected with immigrants or are politians even more unscrupulous these days? Whatever, we need to sort this country out pretty quickly..our days as a nation are limited.. the eu cometh !

Mid J., Dong Pu, China

Postal vote fraud is less likely now, voters must sign the postal vote statement, which is then checked with their applicartion form. Anyone committing large scale fraud would have to have a large files of what their "signature" looked like. The statement also has to include their date of birth

steve, London, UK

In Dec 07, the government without a single debate in parliament changed the rules so that postal votes are now counted face down. This means political party observers can now see ballot paper numbers and so work out who has voted. That certainly makes fraud easier

steve, London, UK

Why should the Government complain about Mugabe when they seem prepared to accept this. Can it be that they perceive an advantage for themselves? Perish the thought!!!

Floating Voter, Haywards Heath, UK

All voters should show proof of ID eg Passport, Driving Licence etc before being able to vote, otherwise the system is brought into disrepute. Most people are honest but there is a minority who want to be fraudulent.

Simon, Bradford,

Voter fraud ?

Could Labour now win without it ?

Stan(expat), USA, USA

Day by day, the closer we get to a banana republic. How much more of this are we expected to take?

Jonathan Spencer, London, UK