The government is to introduce electronic, telephone and internet voting by next year's May local elections as part of an attempt to improve voter turnout. Local councils have been asked to prepare bids to run experiments.

There will also be experiments in postal voting following pilots in which they have increased turnout.

The latest experiments reflect growing cross-party concern at the fall in turnout at general, local and byelections, a trend continued at yesterday's Ipswich byelection.

The government hopes that the new voting methods, if they can be made secure, will fit modern working patterns and family commitments.

Philip Gould, the Labour party pollster and campaign strategist, has also promised a switch of tactics. Mr Gould's remarks are an implicit acceptance that Labour's centre-led election style last year contributed to the lowest turnout since the war.

Responsibility for electoral law has been transferred from the Home Office to the Department of Transport and Local Government, headed by Stephen Byers. Mr Byers has been struck by figures showing that the smaller the constituency the larger the turnout. He is not proposing another local government reorganisation to reduce the size of ward levels.

Electronic voting, supported by the local government minister, Nick Raynsford, would allow local councils to re-establish the momentum for electoral reform lost due to the general election taking place at the same time as last year's local elections. This meant councils were unable to run pilots.

The Local Government Information House is also trying to establish a national electronic register of other forms.

The e-pilots - as many as 10 to 15 - will be selected in consultation with the electoral commission, which will also be responsible for evaluating them.

Voting in byelections

· Leeds Central constituency parliamentary byelection,

June 1999 (Turnout 19.5%)

· Kensington and Chelsea constituency, west London, Nov 1999 (29%)

· Ceredigion constituency, Dyfed Feb 2000, (47%)

· Romsey constituency, Hampshire May 2000, (55%)

· Tottenham constituency, north London June 2000,

(25%)

· Falkirk West constituency, Fife Dec 2000, (36%)