Controversial online voting software ‘used to select Labour Senedd candidates’

Martin Shipton

A controversial online software system that has been linked to the possibility of vote rigging is being used by Welsh Labour to select Senedd candidates for next May’s election, we have been told.

Last month the Metropolitan Police passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service following a lengthy investigation into allegations relating to the misuse of the software system Anonyvoter.

The inquiry focussed on the selection of Labour’s candidate for last year’s general election in the outer London seat of Croydon East.

The local news website Inside Croydon reported extensively about the circumstances which led the Met to launch a probe into the use of the Anonyvoter voting system.

Add votes

Anonyvoter allows party officials to add votes, even during the process or after the advertised end of the poll. They can see who has voted, and who hasn’t.

In Croydon East, it was established that the membership lists had been fiddled with: with a total membership at the time of close to 600, at least 120 members had their data – address, phone number or email address – tampered with, and it was reckoned that 30 votes were fraudulently cast by email and without members’ knowledge.

It was alleged that one candidate had somehow been given early access to the vital membership lists, to give them a head start in canvassing members for their support. Disadvantaged selection candidates filed formal objections when it emerged that the “official” members’ data they were provided with was full of errors.

On one list, 71 members had their home address changed compared to a list from earlier in 2023; 26 had their phone number changed; 40 members had been given a “new” email address – potentially very handy when it came to remote voting in a tightly contested selection…

Natasha Irons was eventually selected by party members, and in July last year she was elected as the first MP for the new constituency.

Rank candidates 

It has now emerged that Welsh Labour is also using Anonyvoter as party members rank their preferred candidates in order for the closed list selections under the new electoral arrangements. Earlier this year the party also used Anonyvoter in the small number of contests between incumbent MSs to see who would top the lists.

Local party members were not given the option to rank candidates in an alternative way, such as an in-person voting following a hustings meeting – the traditional way of selecting candidates. Labour’s Welsh Executive Committee, which is controlled by Keir Starmer loyalists, made that decision..

Anonyvoter was also used in the selection contest between two sitting MPs for the right to represent the new seat of Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. Left winger Beth Winter lost narrowly to Gerald Jones.

A Labour source in Wales said: “Following what happened in Croydon members are really uncomfortable with this voting system. Welsh Labour should have recognised this and acted to give people confidence. It seems really odd that they haven’t. In-person hustings meetings are being held so members could easily vote at them, with the usual postal vote provision.

“There is definitely a feeling amongst members that the party machine has never been more factional, and believe they have favoured candidates. Steps should be taken to show the public our processes are above reproach.”

Welsh Labour was invited to comment, but did not do so.