The pilot schemes will be trialed across 16 councils and will concentrate on modernizing the local administration side of elections, rather than changing the system on a national level.
The measures to be rolled out include electronic signature recognition on postal ballots and electronic ballot counting. The government is keen to stress that the test are just a beginning, with the results expected to point to new technological advances which will make voting easier and secure in the long term.
New electoral technology has been a topic of some debate in recent years with many opponents raising concerns that improperly thought out systems can lead to vote fraud. Though equally, it is widely believed that extending the voting system into the home might be the only way to combat voter apathy.
