The UK�s voting system is vulnerable to large-scale fraud and is being undermined by political parties� spending on marginal seats, a report warns today.

Ben Padley
The UK's voting system is vulnerable to large-scale fraud and is being undermined by political parties' spending on marginal seats, a report warns today.

The report, by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, claims that measures to improve choice for voters are actually hitting the integrity of the electoral process.

Purity of Elections in the UK: Causes for Concern calls for all voters to produce photographic ID, "robust" systems for monitoring postal and proxy votes and restrictions on campaign spending by parties.

It says elections in the UK fall short of international standards and claims the government has failed to improve public confidence.

There have been at least 42 convictions for electoral fraud in the UK in the past seven years, and there is a "genuine risk" of electoral integrity being threatened.

This is partly because "previously robust" administration systems have now reached "breaking point".

It claims the benefits of postal and electronic voting have been "exaggerated" - particularly in relation to claims about increased turnout and social inclusion.

In terms of funding, there is "substantial evidence to suggest that money can have a powerful impact on the outcome of general elections, particularly where targeted at marginal constituencies".

Report author Stuart Wilks-Heeg said: "It's very concerning that ministers tend to focus on quick fixes to solve declining turnout and ignore genuine concerns about how easy it can be to cheat the system."