VOTERS in Herefordshire will not be going to the polls at local council elections in May.

Instead, the county has been chosen by the Government to take part in a postal voting experiment.

There will be no polling stations at village halls or local schools - which also means no extra day off for local youngsters.

Every Herefordshire Council seat in the county will be up for grabs, as will seats on parish and town councils, like Ledbury and Bromyard.

Electors will receive a voting card up to two weeks before election day, on May 1, and will be asked to make their mark and return them to Herefordshire Council.

As long as the council receives the card before 5pm on May 1, the vote will be registered.

"This is all about making voting easier and encouraging more people to vote without compromising security," said the council's chief executive and returning officer Neil Pringle.

"We want to assure residents that all those eligible will be able to vote. We shall mount a publicity campaign in the run-up to the election to make sure everyone knows what to expect and how to make sure they don't miss their opportunity to vote."

The move will also make Herefordshire one of the first to declare its results.

Normally the count does not begin until polling stations close at 9pm and finishes around 3am or 4am. Under the new system, the result could be in by midnight.