U-turn over post vote plan (From Warrington Guardian)

U-turn over post vote plan

VOTERS in Warrington may be casting their votes in the traditional way this June after the House of Lords failed to give the all-postal ballot the stamp of approval.

The Government included Warrington in the area for the all-postal voting trial, despite the independent Electoral Commission recommending that the region should be omitted.

But, in another twist in the tale, peers in the House of Lords have defeated the Government's plans.

Members of both the Conservative and Liberal Democratic benches said the scheme should be confined to the East Midlands and the North East.

The move means Warrington voters may be returning to the traditional ballot box.

In the past two years postal ballots have been held in Trafford, Bolton, St Helens and Salford. Trafford Borough Council increased its turn out from 33 per cent to 53 per cent by using a postal ballot.

The last by-election held in Warrington using the traditional voting methods had a turn out of 19 per cent.