THE cautionary words of the Electoral Commission about postal voting today are welcome but not really surprising.

Amidst widespread public concern over mistakes and possible abuses of the postal voting system, the government itself shied away from an all-postal referendum on regional government.

And the all-postal pilot we had for council and European parliament elections a few months ago brought complaints that the paperwork was too confusing and the system too easy for the unscrupulous to manipulate.

Persuading more people to vote is itself a laudable goal.

And a variety of old and new polling methods should be made available from going to the traditional parish hall or school to sending an email.

But those methods must all be accessible, efficient, secure and have the trust of the public if the integrity of our electoral system is to be preserved.

Postal voting failed in several respects not least the complexity of the papers and the need for a witness which worried a lot of people, especially the elderly living alone.

So it is encouraging to hear the Commission say that both law and policy on these methods of voting must be tightened up before they are used instead of traditional polling.