MORE than 20,000 postal votes were due to be cast at today's Blackburn with Darwen Council elections - but officials say it is set to be one the most secure.

Graham Burgess, chief executive of the council and returning officer, said there had been 20,500 requests for postal votes, an increase of between 100 and 150 on last year.

New regulations that meant postal voters in town hall elections had to provide their date of birth and signature prior to the election and also on the ballot.

And the rules should make the election safer, said Mr Burgess.

The number of postal votes in the borough rose from around 7,000 in 2001 following a council push to encourage more of its 100,000 voters to use the system.

And Blackburn with Darwen Council has bucked the trend, with other places that have seen postal fraud in the past, seeing dramatic reductions in those asking for them this time around.

In Burnley there has been a six per cent drop in postal vote requests and in Birmingham 20,000 postal voters dropped off the register.

In April 2005 former Blackburn with Darwen Labour councillor Mohammed Hussain, of Logwood Street, Bastwell, was jailed for three years and seven-months after admitting conspiracy to defraud the returning officer with postal votes during elections in 2002.

In November, Burnley Liberal Democrat councillors Muzaquir Ali, of Brougham Street, Burnley and Manzur Hussain, of Milner Street were also jailed for 18 months for conspiracy to defraud the returning officer in the May 2004 poll.

And in 2004 there was large election fraud in Birmingham.

Mr Burgess said: "Although the final figures are not in yet it looks to be around the 20,500 mark and maybe up slightly by 100 to 150 on last year.

"The returns look to be about the same, with 13,000 so far and 2,000 more will come in.

He said a new electronic scanning system to check signatures was making the process lengthier.

By law, the council is required to sample 20 per cent of postal votes for fraud, but Mr Burgess said the council was hoping to hit 100 per cent.

"My view is that the system is better this year as it is simpler and significantly more secure because of the date of birth and signature requirement."

He said the new system was also leading to fewer rejected ballot papers which had been filled in incorrectly.

The council's postal vote levels are far higher than in Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, where voters were also at the polls today and where there has been no record of election fraud.

A third of seats Blackburn with Darwen and Hyndburn seats are up for election and all Ribble Valley seats are up for grabs. Polls close at 10pm.