A growing number of candidates faced abuse and intimidation at
this year's elections, while voters have significant concerns
about the accuracy of information they see, according to
the Electoral Commission's new
report on elections held in England in May.
Public confidence in the running of elections remains high
with 94% of voters
in England satisfied with the process of voting, and 87%
confident the elections were well run. Local election turnout was
notably higher than comparable elections in recent years.
However, the Commission has previously raised concerns about
candidate safety, and the survey shows that a growing number of
candidates continue to experience unacceptable levels of abuse
and intimidation. 55% of candidates said they had a problem with
harassment or intimidation, which is an increase from 47% in
2025. Women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds and those
with a disability were more likely to experience abuse.
, Chief Executive of the
Electoral Commission, said:
Without improvements to candidate safety, there is a significant
risk that people will be put off standing in future elections. It
requires work right across the electoral community to prioritise
the safety of all those taking part.
Parties have a responsibility to make it clear to their members
that they should respect all candidates, regardless of which
party they represent, while social media companies should act
faster to remove abusive content aimed at candidates, and
identify those responsible.
These elections demonstrate the growing threats posed to
democracy. Protecting those who participate in our elections,
whether in the polling booth or on the campaign trail, is a vital
part of a healthy democracy.
Action is also required to maintain the confidence of voters and
those participating in elections, by addressing misinformation
and keeping candidates safe from abuse and
intimidation. The
Commission's survey found that more than half of people
said they saw misinformation ahead of the elections,
and one in ten said they saw deepfake material.
The Commission is calling for the UK Government to require social
media platforms to strengthen their responses to mis- and
disinformation. It says electoral law should reflect the risk
posed by new threats, such as generative AI.
Vijay continued:
Voters are happy with how elections are run, and turn out
increased this year, but many voters are telling us that they are
worried about mis and disinformation.
The UK Government and
the social media platforms need to take urgent action to protect
voters from misinformation.
Social media platforms should be required to improve how
they protect the
integrity of information about elections. We want to see
them carry out risk assessments on how their services might be
used to create or share harmful mis- or dis-information. They
also need to make it easier for trusted partners to highlight
potentially harmful mis- or dis-information. In addition, our
election laws should be updated to keep pace with advances in
digital campaigning.
The Commission's full report on the 2026 local elections in
England can be viewed on the Commission's website, alongside
reports covering May's Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections,
also published today.
Ends
Notes to editors
The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees
elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to
promote public confidence in the democratic process and ensure
its integrity by:
- enabling the delivery of free and fair elections and
referendums, focusing on the needs of electors and addressing the
changing environment to ensure every vote remains secure and
accessible
- regulating political finance taking proactive steps to
increase transparency, ensure compliance and pursue breaches
- using our expertise to make and advocate for changes to our
democracy, aiming to improve fairness, transparency, and
efficiency
The Commission was set up in 2000 and reports to the UK, Welsh,
and Scottish Parliaments.
All public opinion figures, unless otherwise stated, are from
YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 3,808 adults in areas in
England holding elections. Fieldwork was undertaken between 8th
May - 2nd June 2026. The survey was carried out online. The
figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults
in the electorate (aged 18+).
