ELECTIONS OFFICE TO PROBE SOMALI VOTERS

23-04-2008

The Stirrer understands that Birmingham’s Elections Office has been asked to investigate postal voting applications made by members of the Somali community in Aston – already the scene of claim and counter claim in the run up to the local elections on May Day.

We should stress that there’s no evidence of wrong doing – but the issue once again highlights the dangers of allowing candidates and party supporters to secure votes outside the secret confines of the ballot box.

Our sources suggest that Labour activists are alarmed at the apparent targeting of the Somalian community by the Lib Dems – not least because Somalis (as natives of a non Commonwealth country) can’t legally vote unless they have acquired British citizenship.

This won’t necessarily have stopped them signing the electoral register, of course, leading to Labour calls for house visits by election officials to ensure their applications are legitimate.

A similar probe into members of the Bangladeshi community in 2006 led to a successful prosecution.

Given the lack of resources at the Election Office, Labour is calling for West Midlands police to investigate.

Labour have previously called for the police to get involved after it emerged that Lib Dem candidate Ayoub Khan delivered 200 postal voting applications and 150 voter registration forms just an hour before the deadline (see link here).

Khan has accused his rivals of “clutching at straws” and trying to smear him.(see link here)

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