Nigel Farage pledges to ban postal voting in most cases and restrict parliamentary elections to naturalised British citizens under a Reform UK government. The party argues that existing rules allowing eligible Commonwealth residents to vote shift UK elections toward international concerns.
Strict Limits on Postal Voting
Postal ballots would receive approval only under narrow exemptions for the elderly, disabled individuals, active armed forces members, and overseas workers during election periods. Farage criticizes widespread postal voting, stating: “For too long, postal voting has allowed our elections to be turned into a laughing stock, riddled with fraud, intimidation and outright cheating. It’s been allowed to go on for years and has poisoned trust in our democracy. Meanwhile, allowing non-Brits – people with zero connection to this country – vote on our future is absurd. It is right that only British citizens should be able to vote in British parliamentary elections. That’s why a Reform government will immediately ban wholesale postal voting and ensure only British citizens can vote in elections in order to bring back trust to British democracy.”
Current Commonwealth Voting Rules
The Electoral Commission outlines that Commonwealth citizens qualify to register if they hold leave to enter or remain in the UK, or require no such permission. Notably, citizens from Fiji and Zimbabwe retain voting rights despite their countries’ suspension from the Commonwealth.
Fraud Concerns and Recent Investigations
While the Electoral Commission finds no evidence of widespread electoral fraud—reporting that of 1,318 alleged cases referred to police from 2020 to 2024, only eight resulted in convictions and three in cautions—recent events raise alarms. Reform UK alerted police following warnings from election observers Democracy Volunteers about elevated instances of illegal family voting during the Gorton and Denton by-election. This practice involves two voters sharing a booth and potentially influencing each other’s choices.
Democracy Volunteers noted family voting in 15 of 22 observed polling stations. Reform UK placed second in the contest, with the Green Party capturing the seat from Labour.
Calls for Inquiry and Opposition
Shadow Local Government Secretary Sir James Cleverly urges the Electoral Commission to launch an investigation. Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake voices concerns over the proposals, emphasizing: “We must safeguard our elections with proportionate, evidence-based reforms, not headline grabbing measures that could lock law-abiding voters out of our democratic process.”
