Personation
The offence of voting as another person at an election, or applying for a ballot paper in another person's name. A corrupt practice under the Representation of the People Act 1983.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Under section 60 of the Representation of the People Act 1983, a person is guilty of a corrupt practice if they commit, or aid, abet, counsel or procure, the offence of personation. A person is deemed guilty of personation at a parliamentary or local government election if they vote in person or by post as some other person — whether as an elector or as a proxy — regardless of whether that other person is living, dead, or fictitious.
Personation also covers voting as a proxy for a person the individual knows or has reasonable grounds to suppose is dead or fictitious, or when they know or have reasonable grounds to suppose their appointment as proxy is no longer in force. A person who has applied for a ballot paper for the purpose of voting in person, or who has marked and returned a postal ballot paper, is deemed to have voted for the purposes of the offence.
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Official sources
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