The Electoral Commission has warned that abuse and intimidation are changing the way candidates participate in British politics after publishing its review of the May 2026 elections in England.
The elections watchdog found that 40% of surveyed candidates said they had experienced problems involving harassment, intimidation or threats, while 64% reported experiencing at least one form of abusive or inappropriate behaviour during the campaign.
The Commission said candidate safety is becoming an increasingly serious threat to democratic participation, warning that without improvements people could be deterred from standing for election in future.
At the same time, confidence in the administration of elections remains high: 94% of voters said they were satisfied with the process of voting and 87% were confident the elections were well run.
Candidate abuse continues to rise
The Electoral Commission said 55% of candidates now regard harassment or intimidation as a problem, up from 47% in 2025.
When candidates were asked directly whether they had personally experienced problems with harassment, intimidation or threats, 40% said they had, compared with 34% in 2025.
Inappropriate contact through social media was the most frequently reported form of abuse, experienced by 39% of respondents at least once.
Almost a quarter said misleading information had been spread about them, 21% reported unwanted approaches in person and 20% said they had been personally belittled or insulted.
Only 15% of those who experienced abuse or intimidation reported it to the police.
Reform and Labour candidates report highest levels
The Commission's survey found substantial differences between political parties.
Among candidates who responded, 59% of Reform UK candidates said they had personally experienced inappropriate behaviour, harassment or threats to their security.
The figure was 54% for Labour candidates, 43% for Green Party candidates, 37% for independents, 26% for Conservatives and 22% for Liberal Democrats.
The findings underline that abuse is affecting candidates across the political spectrum rather than being confined to one party.
Women and minority candidates disproportionately affected
The Commission found that women, candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds and disabled candidates were more likely to report abuse.
Some 43% of female candidates reported experiencing abuse compared with 38% of men.
The figure rose to 52% among candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds and 49% among candidates with a disability.
Concerns about safety are also changing how candidates campaign. Some 79% of female respondents said they had avoided campaigning alone at least once because of safety concerns, compared with 46% of male respondents.
Women were also more likely to avoid discussing controversial issues or using online media because of concerns about abuse.
One third considered not standing
The consequences could extend beyond individual incidents during election campaigns.
One third of respondents said they had considered not standing for election because of harassment, intimidation or concerns about future abuse.
Electoral Commission chief executive Vijay Rangarajan warned that candidate safety needed to be prioritised across the electoral system.
He said political parties had a responsibility to make clear that members should respect candidates from rival parties, while social media companies needed to remove abusive material more quickly and help identify those responsible.
More than half of voters saw misinformation
The Commission also raised concerns about misinformation and the increasing potential impact of artificial intelligence on elections.
More than half of voters surveyed said they had encountered misinformation ahead of the May elections, while one in ten said they had seen deepfake material.
The Commission's own deepfake detection pilot found that political deepfakes were not widespread during these elections, but the watchdog warned that the future risk remains significant.
It wants the Government to require social media platforms to strengthen their response to misinformation and disinformation and says electoral law needs to keep pace with advances in generative AI and digital campaigning.
Commission calls for campaign code of conduct
The watchdog is supporting the development of a non-statutory code of conduct for future election campaigns.
Its research found 89% of candidate respondents supported political parties taking action against members responsible for abuse, while 88% backed requiring social media platforms to identify perpetrators.
Another 78% supported stronger moderation of abusive content and 77% believed a formal campaigning code of conduct would be effective.
The Commission said parties should incorporate agreed standards into their membership and disciplinary policies.
Voters remain confident elections are well run
Despite the concerns over abuse and misinformation, the report found high levels of public confidence in the administration of elections.
Some 94% of voters were satisfied with the process of voting and 87% were confident that the elections were well run.
Turnout also increased compared with recent comparable elections, reaching 41.2% in metropolitan, London borough, unitary and district elections and 45.2% in county council contests.
More than 25,000 candidates stood across the local and mayoral elections in England on 7 May.
Watchdog also raises voter ID and accessibility concerns
The Commission said disabled voters continue to encounter barriers despite support and equipment being available at polling stations, with awareness of assistance remaining too low.
Awareness of the requirement to show voter identification remains high, but awareness of the free Voter Authority Certificate is significantly lower.
The Commission has called on the Government to review the certificate, including whether a digital version could make it quicker and easier for voters to obtain.
It also warned that election administrators remain under pressure from staffing, postal voting and printing issues, as well as uncertainty surrounding future electoral reforms.