RESIDENTS in Basingstoke could be set to take part in a pilot scheme which would revolutionise the way people cast their vote in local elections.

Under a radical proposal, Basingstoke council is planning to completely do away with voting papers and have everyone voting electronically. Voters will still go into a booth at a polling station - but they will just press a button to mark their choice.

The futuristic plan goes before next Thursday's council meeting for approval.

Chief executive Katrine Sporle explained: "If the council agrees, we will make a bid to the Government for electronic voting across the whole of the borough."

She added: "The Government has asked councils to bid for pilot schemes for innovative voting systems in next year's elections. Ours would be for stand-alone electronic voting in all 109 polling stations in the borough.

"There would also be electronic counting, which would save a huge amount of time and effort. Instead of a hall full of counters working for hours, it would be done at the council headquarters and would be completed in about 10 minutes.

"We would send out postal votes with every poll card, also counted electronically, and there would be a simplified declaration.

"We will work with elected members to choose the right kind of equipment. We have done several tests and favour those that replicate a ballot paper on screen, so no-one will be disadvantaged by not knowing how it works.

"We would hire the equipment initially because, over the next few years, there are going to be many improvements."

The chief executive said that the Government had agreed to meet the costs of experimental types of voting, which are designed to combat voter apathy and increase the percentage vote in elections. But Basingstoke still has £160,000 set aside from Government grants for the introduction of e-government.

Mrs Sporle said: "We still have to make a formal bid to the Government for permission to run the pilot as it needs a special Act of Parliament before you organise voting in a different way."

Council leader Brian Gurden said: "I am fully in favour of the pilot scheme, but it should be fully monitored and fully evaluated to see if it does in fact increase voter turn-out.

"Voting is a democratic responsibility that members of the community should take seriously. I am in favour of this experimentation and then we can base our decisions firmly on the evidence. But ultimately I believe we should ensure that elections are interesting and relevant to the lives of the voters."

Councillors will be told on Thursday that the move is to promote local democracy. It is hoped that it will lead to an improvement in turn-out - at last May's council elections only 33 per cent of those eligible voted. It is thought that the novelty of the method of voting will attract many more people.

One third of Basingstoke's council seats come up for re-election next May - one seat in all of the 20 wards. There are also a possible 22 parish council elections at the same time - but if seats are not contested, no election is needed. Any parish council elections that are held will also be done electronically.

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