I REFER to the letter from Mr Anthony J Boddy, which appeared on March 6.

In his final paragraph, Mr Boddy refers to having to sign his ballot paper in the forthcoming all-postal ballot for this year's local and parish elections.

I would like to point out that this is not the case. The ballot paper will indeed have a declaration that the elector must sign to confirm that they are the person to whom the ballot paper has been sent. However, the ballot paper itself is sealed separately to the signed declaration. Prior to the opening and counting of the ballot papers, the signed declarations will be detached and filed away, thus maintaining the secrecy of the ballot.

It is also perhaps worth noting that the signing of a declaration of identity has been part of the postal voting process at traditional elections for many years and will be familiar to all those who usually have postal votes.

Bernard Knight

Returning Officer

Town Hall, Bolton