ELECTION fever has arrived in Chorley with almost 50 per cent of people returning their postal votes in just three days.

Chorley Council revealed the bumper crop of more than 20,000 votes had arrived as it began the count down to election day on Thursday, May 6, when 17 seats are up for grabs in the local election and the borough will select its next MP.

This year the election is being run using traditional methods – with polling stations open across the borough from 7am until 10pm on the day.

The borough, which has previously piloted nationally acclaimed new voting techniques on behalf of the Government, also has one of the highest percentages of residents using postal votes.

That means people can vote by post in the run up to the election instead of using the traditional ballot box.

Chief executive and returning officer Donna Hall said: “It’s really important that everyone in the borough uses their vote – it’s the way in which local people can influence how local services provided by Chorley Council are run and this year the way that the country is run too.

"If you have a postal vote you can send it back now and more than half of those eligible already have.

“The borough is known nationally for enjoying a healthy turnout on election day – which is great for local democracy.

"I’d encourage people who don’t usually vote to make sure they have their say – whether it is by returning their postal vote or putting a cross in the box at your local polling station.

"Every vote really does count.”

Almost 50 per cent of the postal ballot packs issued for the local and general elections have already been returned to the Town Hall, where the count will be held later on Thursday after polling stations close at 10pm.

Chorley Council has to verify all postal votes collected on the day before it can begin counting and expects to declare the borough’s MP around 4am on Friday, May 7.

The result of the local election will be counted and declared from 1pm later that day.

The Council clocked up the highest turnout in the country in 2002 when 61 percent of people returned their vote.

A second pilot scheme in 2003 resulted in another high turnout of 50 percent.