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Secret Ballot

Asked by Sir James CleverlyConservativeSpeaker's Committee on the Electoral CommissionTabled Answered 25 March 2026UIN 121725

The question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if the Electoral Commission will ensure that polling stations in the May 2026 local elections display visible posters on the secrecy of the ballot and associated offences under the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023.

Answered by Sir Jeremy Wright

Electoral law prescribes which official notices must be displayed in polling stations. This includes the ‘guidance for voters’ notice which explains that voting is secret and voters should not let anyone see how they have voted. The Commission’s guidance for electoral administrators and polling station handbook explain where and how these notices must be displayed.

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