BOLTON could trial all-postal voting next year in an attempt to boost polling figures.

Council leader Cllr Bob Howarth has hinted that the town could be in line for an experiment in which every vote is cast through the post and there are no polling stations on election day.

The new approach to elections has been a success in some neighbouring local authorities.

He said: "We are very interested in the experiences of all-postal voting. We will particularly be looking at Trafford and Chorley which tried it this year. Their voting figures showed a considerable increase."

This year Bolton tried electronic voting and saw voting turn-out rise from 26.8 per cent to 32.7 per cent. There was also a six-fold rise in postal voting with 12,000 received - and 70 cent asked for it to be a permanent option.

Cllr Howarth says electronic voting must now undergo a proper analysis to see just how successful it was.

But in other areas where all-postal voting has been tried - there has been bigger differences.

Chorley saw voter turn-out pass 60 per cent and Trafford saw an increase of 19 per cent to 52 per cent earlier this month.

Transport, Local Government and the Regions Secretary Stephen Byers has also signalled that more councils will be free to opt for postal voting in next year's elections - declaring this year's pilots a "tremendous success."

He told the Commons at question time that more modern voting methods must be looked at, in preference to using "stubby black pencils in makeshift booths". And a nationwide all-postal ballot could also be held for European Parliament elections in 2004, following concern over a turnout of barely 20 per cent in the last such polls three years ago.