Corrupt Practices

Corrupt practices, under United Kingdom election law, are acts connected with an election which, if a person is found guilty of them by an election court, can cause the result to be declared void, remove the winner from office, and impose legal restrictions on the guilty party. The Representation of the People Act 1983 defines the category, which includes bribing voters, treating them with food, drink or entertainment to influence their vote, exerting undue influence through threats, personation or impersonating another voter, giving false information when nominating a candidate, incurring unlawful campaign expenses, and making fraudulent postal vote applications. Some of these acts can be pursued both as civil matters before an election court and as ordinary criminal offenses in the regular courts.