Councils named for voting trials

Last updated at 16:55 29 January 2007


Thirteen councils will trial alternative voting methods in May's polls, the Government announced today as part of its long-running investigation of ways to modernise the electoral system.

Junior constitutional affairs minister Bridget Prentice, in a Commons written statement, said the pilots would include electronic counting, internet and telephone voting and advance voting.

The councils and pilots are:

• Bedford Borough - Advance voting the week before polling, requiring all voters to sign before being issued with ballot papers, electronic counting

• Breckland District - Electronic counting

• Broxbourne Borough - Advance voting the week before polling, requiring advance voters to sign before being issued with ballot papers

• Dover District - Electronic counting

• Gateshead Borough - Advance voting the two weeks before polling, requiring advance voters to sign before being issued with ballot papers

• Rushmoor Borough - Remote internet voting the week before polling and on polling day

• Sheffield City - Remote internet and telephone voting the week before polling

• Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough - Remote internet and telephone voting the week before polling

• South Bucks District - Remote internet and telephone voting the week before polling day and on polling day, electronic counting

• Stratford-on-Avon District - Electronic counting

• Sunderland City - Advance voting the two weeks before polling day, requiring all voters to sign before being issued with ballot papers

• Swindon Borough - Remote internet and telephone voting the week before polling day and on polling day

• Warwick District - Electronic counting.

Stratford and Warwick councils will work together to utilise shared counting venues.

In all these authorities, traditional polling stations will be available on polling day.

Ms Prentice said: "To test the effectiveness and robustness of these innovations and to build public confidence in them, we are continuing to conduct a programme of pilots in 2007 which maintains the momentum that was started in 2000."

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