The Electoral Commission has called on Ministers to quickly plug the security gaps surrounding postal fraud before this years general election.

A report shows police investigated 48 cases of alleged electoral fraud after the European and council elections last year - and the Commission fears existing laws are not tough enough.

Under current laws, election officers are only required to check least 20 per cent of postal votes by signatures and dates of birth when processing ballot papers.

That leaves 80 per cent of the EC's estimated 6.5m people (15% of voters) who have applied for postal votes are susceptible to fraud. This in an election expected to deliver a Hung Parliament.

Jenny Watson, chairwoman of the Electoral Commission, said:

"We are still calling on returning officers to check 100 per cent of postal ballots and believe the Ministry of Justice should make this mandatory and provide the funding needed to make it possible."


Resources

Local authorities have been asked to voluntarily check 100% of the postal vote but scarce resources and the delay in counting are hampering efforts to scrutinise the eligibility of votes.

David Monks, from the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives told The Times:

"It will be almost impossible to check more ballot papers without extra staff. The Government has indicated it will give us extra cash for the general election but we have still not been told how much."


Cases

Just two cases of electoral fraud have resulted in prosecution. In Bournemouth two people received prison sentences for giving false information when registering to vote, while in Cannock, Staffordshire, one person was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment for pretending to be someone else at the ballot box.

A trial is set for April for a candidate who stood at the May 2008 election who allegedly applied for a proxy vote in a different name.