Postal vote increases turnout

Postal ballots have helped increase voter turnout

The turnout in local elections in the East Midlands has been boosted in some wards by postal voting.

Five councils in the region have been running postal-vote-only elections for the first time, including Rushcliffe Borough Council in Nottinghamshire.

Frank Glover of Rushcliffe Council said: "This has certainly encouraged more people to vote and it will be part of voting in the future and I think more people will want to vote by post."

Turnout in Rushcliffe was 40% in the last local election, but in some wards the turnout was as high as 73% - higher than the last general election.

Pubs and castles

Voters in Rushcliffe seem to have warmed to the postal experiment: "It saves people the bother of going to the polling office if they are working.

"Voting by post is a lot more convenient," one voter said.

Traditional style of voting

Local election results from BBCi

In other wards, polling stations have been placed in schools and village halls.

But the Moon Pub at Spondon near Derby was also used as a polling station.

And the historic gatehouse at Nottingham Castle was converted into a polling station for the day.

In total, 59 local authorities across the country are offering 6.5 million electors new voting opportunities, including electronic and postal voting.

Voters in some schemes are able to cast votes using SMS text messaging, touch-tone telephone, the internet, interactive digital television and touch screen equipment at polling stations.