A NATIONWIDE publicity campaign warning people of the risks of postal voting fraud is to be launched early next week, the Government announced last night.

Advertisements in national and regional newspapers will tell the 6.5 million people due to vote by post how to do so “safely and securely”. They are expected to advise the public not to hand their completed postal ballot papers to party activists or candidates, in order to cut potential fraud.

The adverts will also encourage people to contact the police immediately if they have any information about attempts to defraud the election. Further guidance is also to be issued to the police, party officials and returning officers within the next few days.

The announcement came as Mr Justice Collins, in rejecting an attempt in the High Court to challenge postal voting arrangements on the ground that the current safeguards were open to fraud, acknowledged that the system had made fraud easier.

It followed an emergency meeting last night, held by Alex Allan, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Constitutional Affairs, to discuss growing concerns about postal voting fraud.

After the two-hour meeting, attended by Sam Younger, chairman of the Electoral Commission, Adam Crozier, chief executive of the Royal Mail, chief police officers and election officer leaders, the DCA said that all extra measures would be centrally funded.

“The Government has reassured returning officers and police that all reasonable measures to identify and tackle potential fraud will be fully funded,” it said.

“Police will contact returning officers at a local level and discuss where further assistance might be necessary.”

The DCA said that the public information campaign would be stepped up, although this will not extend to TV or radio advertising.

David Monks, leader of the returning officers, said that it was vital to get a simple message out to voters as soon as ballot papers started being delivered from next Monday.

The newspaper adverts are expected to advise the public to fill out their ballot papers in secret with no one looking over their shoulder. They will also advise people to post their ballot papers to returning officers rather than handing them to a candidate or canvasser.

The Royal Mail has reassured the Government that it will deliver post on time, but election officers fear that they will be inundated with postal votes in the days before May 5, making it virtually impossible to undertake rigorous checks.

They are particularly worried that in marginal seats the number of people applying for postal votes has risen by up to 500 per cent since 2001.

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