An investigation has reportedly uncovered the extent of illegal 'family voting' taking place at polling stations in Birmingham, prompting calls for the UK's election watchdog to launch a formal probe. Family voting, where one person casts ballots on behalf of relatives without their independent, private consent, undermines the secrecy of the ballot and is a criminal offence under UK electoral law, raising concerns about the integrity of results in affected constituencies.

The full text of the report was not available for review, so specific figures, locations and named individuals implicated could not be confirmed here. The article indicates the findings are significant enough to warrant scrutiny from the Electoral Commission, suggesting the practice may be more widespread in Birmingham than previously acknowledged.