A new system of postal voting being piloted in Brighton and Hove is an attempt to end voter apathy, particularly among the young. So will it take off?

In Brighton and Hove's last local election in 1999, just 38 per cent of the population bothered to vote. It was the beginning of a new era.

The national average was 28 per cent. The city had done relatively well but most admit the voter numbers were disappointing.

It still could have been a cause for minor celebration among the city's leaders, who could have said they were bucking the national trend, were it not for one thing.

The high turnout was attributed more to a referendum on Brighton and Hove Albion's new ground than political motivation among residents.

People seemed to care more about their local team than local officials spouting politics.

Local elections had for some time been attracting fewer and fewer votes but the national elections were important.

When Tony Blair came to power in 1997, 70 per cent of the population voted.

By 2001, with Labour seemingly guaranteed victory and, seemingly having no effective opposition, only 59 per cent of the country could be bothered to voice an opinion.

Up and down the UK, politicians lamented the appalling turnout, wondered why no one seemed interested and asked what they could do to get the public back into the voting booths.

Was it because of bad weather? Did elderly and disabled people find it hard to get out? Was the process too complicated? Was it because of political sleaze? Was it due to a dying community spirit? Did people really not care?

The Government went on the offensive to find new ways for people to vote.

There would be trials in postal voting, e-voting, text voting, voting over several days, combinations of all these, citizenship classes in schools, publicity campaigns and a general fanfare about the wonders and importance of democracy.

Brighton and Hove City Council announced, after a phone call from John Prescott's office, it had been chosen to test a postal voting system.

Council leader Ken Bodfish welcomed the chance for the city's 198,000 voters to lead the way into the 21st Century and get involved once again in politics.

"This is wonderful news for local democracy. We expect many more voters to participate in local elections because it will be much more convenient for them to do so.

"I have great hopes that people's interest in their communities and how they are run will be revitalised.

"Accessibility is often a problem for older or disabled people at some of our polling stations. The weather will no longer be an excuse not to vote."

Filling in a postal voting form can also be done at leisure.

However, Tory opposition leader Brian Oxley and Green convenor Keith Taylor pointed out there could be a increased risk of fraud if postal votes were tampered with - and extra costs incurred by the system.

Councillor Taylor said: "For the council to apply to be a pilot to try all postal voting when it's in such a financial crisis is an outrage.

"The council doesn't need to do this at all and it will cost council taxpayers up to an extra £50,000. Something else will have to be cut to pay for it."

According to the deputy returning officer Chris Fossey, the cost of postal voting is relative to the number of people responding.

If the council achieves the 50 per cent turnout it is aiming for, the cost per person will be £2.29.

With the old ballot system, when 38 per cent of voters turned out, the cost per person was £2.79. In other words, it would be worth it if it works.

The biggest problem for Brighton and Hove, and every council across the UK, is encouraging younger voters to show an interest in voting.

Mr Fossey said: "Over the years, the 18-to-25 age group has been the lowest turnout and it's not getting any better.

"In 2002 other councils tried pilot schemes and I'm not sure they attracted any more youngsters. It's a long-term task to get the message home.

"We have been to sixth-form colleges to give talks and we have tried to encourage that group to vote. We will just have to keep trying."

In the next few weeks the council will send a letter to every resident outlining how the new all-postal ballot will work.

The ballot paper will be sent on April 14 and must be returned by close of poll at 5pm on May 1.

The ballots can either be returned by post or dropped at town halls in Brighton, Hove or Portslade.

Other changes mean the number of wards in the area will be reduced from 26 to 21 and the number of councillors from 78 to 54.

Sam Younger, chairman of the Electoral Commission, said: "Our key objective is to make voting more accessible to the electorate but without compromising security or public confidence.

"The 2003 pilots promise to be a big help in achieving this and I am delighted so many local authorities have come up with schemes that build positively on the 2002 experience and our evaluation of it."