THIS year's local and European elections will always be remembered for the postal vote electoral experiment. Many were opposed to the plan and the trial did not pass without hitches.

An inquiry has already begun to find out if traditional polls are to be permanently replaced with postal ballots. DANNY BRIERLEY reports.

THE Government's aim when it imposed all-postal pilots in four English regions was to increase voter turnout.

Falls in the numbers of people voting prompted a search for a solution that would have more taking part in the democratic process.

Turnout figures for last week's elections seem to suggest 'mission accomplished'.

But the statistics tell another story. While turnout in the trial areas rose by about 14 per cent to around 50 per cent, turnout where traditional methods were used jumped by about six per cent.

The only indisputable increase came in the European elections.

Opponents of the move say their worst fears came true.

Pendle Liberal Democrat peer Lord Tony Greaves called it a "shambles".

An investigation into allegations of election fraud in Burnley, voting packs being sent to dead former nursing home residents and the fact that the paperwork seemed too complicated for some was, he said, proof that all-postal pilots were a bad idea.

There were also problems getting the election packs posted to homes in time.

As it turned out, even though some votes went astray and were posted back to the wrong councils, Royal Mail bosses delivered on time.

Security was always a concern too. Some feared the bar codes on voting packs meant council officials would be able to find out how individuals

voted.

This was coupled with worries the new system made it easier for votes to be harvested and sent back en masse by one person or group and that, despite voters having to sign an identification slip that had to be witnessed by a third party, votes could easily be filled in and returned on someone else's behalf.

Phil Watson, Blackburn with Darwen returning officer and chief executive, and Dr Gillian Taylor, Burnley Council returning officer and chief executive, both had mixed feeling about the pilot.

Mr Watson said: "As a returning officer I have always been in favour of increasing postal voting on the basis that the pilots we have had in the past four or five years show that is the one sure way of increasing electoral turnout.

"The election was more complicated for us because we had all-out local elections which had to be run alongside the Euro elections.

"We had a new set of rules brought in with a very short time-scale, which made things particularly difficult for us."

However, he added: "The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The outcome is an increased turnout from 37 per cent to 49.5 per cent."

Dr Taylor said: "I have mixed feelings. Without doubt turnout in the European election rose dramatically from 19 per cent five years ago to around 50 per cent this time, so that has got to be a success.

"In the local elections the turnout increase was only seven and a half per cent so it is difficult to say if there was a significant increase.

"I am pleased the process went smoothly here. That was down to sheer hard work from our staff. We are also conscious about the levels of concern from the public, a lot of whom were confused about the paperwork and nervous about the fact that the packs had individual bar codes."

Both returning officers said they felt postal elections would, in the future, become a permanent fixture, although possibly in a different form.

They also agreed that elections staff needed more time to make sure the process ran as smoothly as possible.