DISTRICT and European elections could all be carried out by post in East Lancashire next year, signalling the beginning of the end for polling stations.

The move could see the June ballots being used as a practice run for the autumn's referendum on a North West Regional Assembly.

The news comes at the end of a Government consultation to see whether local authorities are in favour of letting voters use post, e-mail, the Internet or their telephones to improve voter turnout.

The Electoral Commission, the body organising the consultation process, will pass on recommendations for East Lancashire to the Government in December. And even though it said no firm decisions had yet been made, it is committed to postal voting becoming the norm, even though it has received a mixed reaction across the area.

When Chorley adopted postal voting in 2002, voter turnout roughly doubled to 61 per cent. But Hyndburn Council leader, Tory Coun Peter Britcliffe, rejected any move away from polling stations and said: "People should go to the polls because although they say there is no evidence of fraud, we know it goes on."

Pendle Council, which has no party in overall control, said they had mixed feelings about the change. The area's other councils, which are all Labour-run except the Tory Ribble Valley, supported the move to postal vote.

Burnley Council's deputy returning officer, Tom Forshaw, said: "We feel that there is a genuine desire for postal voting in this region if the referendum goes ahead in autumn next year."

Maxine Hoeksma, of the Electoral Commission, said: "Following its evaluation of voting trials at the May 2003 local elections in England, the Electoral Commission considers that all-postal voting should be made the norm at all local elections throughout Great Britain."

Rossendale Council press officer, Neil Graham, said: "Our view is that it is a good move. It is all about getting turnout up and we support that."

Leader of Burnley Council, Coun Stuart Caddy, said: "We welcome postal voting. We want to encourage more people to participate and this is what postal voting is all about."

Ribble Valley Council legal director, Paul Timson, said: "If the North West is chosen as a pilot area for postal voting we will be taking part."