Public confidence in Northern Ireland's electoral process improved after tough new anti-fraud laws were introduced, a report claimed today.
The study also rejected claims that 120,000 eligible voters were wiped off the register by schemes to halt ballot box deception.
With impersonation and abuse heavily suspected at Northern Ireland's polling stations, the government brought in the Electoral Fraud Act in May 2002.
But in its assessment of the legislation's first year, the Electoral Commission found little evidence of wrong-doing.
Even though actual fraud levels were impossible to establish, measures introduced in the Act have increased confidence levels in the integrity of the voting process, the report found.
Electoral Commission chief Mr Seamus Magee said: "Public opinion research conducted on behalf of the Commission shows that 72 per cent of a representative sample of the Northern Ireland population either strongly agreed or tended to agree that the new system should reduce electoral fraud."
The Act brought about the most significant change to electoral law in Northern Ireland for years and came ahead of last month's Assembly polls.
PA