CHORLEY'S Labour party kept the majority of council seats in a tense election night where the counting process overshadowed the results.
Electronic counting machines flown over from the US were put to the test as Chorley's voters registered, at 61 per cent, one of the highest returns in any local election in the country.
The election was carried out entirely by postal vote as part of a pilot scheme aimed at improving voter participation.
Labour secured 22 seats, the Conservatives 16, Liberal Democrats six and Independents three.
The final ward count of Clayton-le-Woods North went to a fourth re-count with the machines, run by Nebraskan electoral technician Jerry Hayek, returning a different result every time.
Eventually Jeff Davies, the returning officer, called the result at 2am.
Conservative Roger Livesey missed out to Liberal Democrat Bill Mellor by four votes.
Pat Haughton, a defeated Conservative candidate and election agent had her doubts about the counting machines.
She said: "We would have had more confidence in a manual count, but that would have been very difficult with the turnout we have had."
The first ever all-out postal election in the borough certainly had its desired effect of dispelling voter apathy.
There were tearful scenes as councillor for eight years June Molyneaux, standing for Labour, missed out in a head-to-head battle against Conservative Pat Case in Heath Charnock and Rivington.
June was comforted by her mother Florence -- a successful candidate.
On the results Ken Ball, Liberal Democrat leader, said: "I am quite happy with the way things have turned out and the amount of votes has been excellent."
And Labour leader John Wilson was pleased too. He said: "I am absolutely delighted with the overall response from the Chorley public.
"It shows they support the plans the Labour Party has put forward for a cleaner, safer Chorley and I am very grateful to all electors."
The Results for Chorley Borough Council Elections on Thursday, May 2.
ASTLEY AND BUCKSHAW WARD
Laura Jane Lennox (Lab)...875
Mark Perks (Con)...851
Patricia Mary Haughton (Con)...834
Margaret Rose Fielden (Lab)...656
BRINDLE AND HOGHTON WARD
David Dickinson (Con)...823
Stephen Charlesworth (Lib Dem)...182
Beverley Gore (Lab)...175
CHORLEY EAST WARD
Raymond Parr (Lab)...1658
Patricia Mary Wilson (Lab)...1651
Terrence Brown (Lab)...1536
Melville Coombes (Ind)...711
Jacqueline C Bettney (Con)...596
Jean Mellor (Lib Dem)...521
CHORLEY NORTH EAST WARD
Dennis Edgerley (Lab)...1624
Adrian Lowe (Lib Dem)...1505
Keith Lowe (Lab) ...1419
James Henry Fleming (Con)...795
Elvi Livesey (Con)...683
Eileen Anne Smith (Lib Dem)...640
Graeme Frost (UK Ind)...401
CHORLEY NORTH WEST WARD
Ralph Snape (Ind)...2973
Joyce Snape (Ind)...2612
Robert Gordon Crabtree (Lab)...1161
Peter Malpas (Con)...1011
Linda Norman (Lib Dem)...669
Peter William Higham (Con)...491
Elsie May Perks (Con)...449
CHORLEY SOUTH EAST WARD
Thomas McGowan (Lab)...1508
Steve Holgate (Lab)...1377
Christopher Michael Snow (Lab)...1282
Geoffrey Goodspeed (Con)...959
Sheila Marsden (Con)...931
Barbara Ann Higham (Con)...788
David Porter (Lib Dem)...510
CHORLEY SOUTH WEST WARD
Roy Lees (Lab)...1522
Anthony Gee (Lab)...1498
John Gerald Wilson (Lab)...1457
Dorothy Margaret Pilkington Livesey (Con)...657
Kevan George Haughton (Con)...632
CLAYTON-LE-WOODS WEST AND CUERDEN WARD
Lesley Elizabeth Brownlee (Lab)...916
Thomas Bedford (Con)...827
Samuel Andrew Chapman (Con)...790
Edward Anthony Murphy (Lab)...749
Gail Patricia Ormston (Lib Dem)...457
CLAYTON-LE-WOODS & WHITTLE-LE-WOODS WARD
James Eric Bell (Con)...1816
John Philip Walker (Con) ...1466
Nigel Harvey Baxter (Con)...1418
Sharon A Gray (Lab) ...905
Glenda Charlesworth (Lib Dem)...869
Stuart Brian Harding (Lib Dem)...861
Darren M Woodruff (Lab)...772
George W Harvey (Lab)...673
CLAYTON-LE-WOODS NORTH WARD
Peter George Buckley (Lib Dem)...909
Stephen John Fenn (Lib Dems)...890
William Richard Mellor (Lib Dem)...875
Roger William Livesey (Cons)...871
Alan Cullens (Cons)...869
Jean Elizabeth Cronshaw (Lab)...861
Margaret Magdalene Cullens (Cons)...853
James Freeman (Lab)...795
Anthony Holden (Lab)...700
EUXTON SOUTH WARD
Geoffrey Russell (Con)...1053
Peter Goldsworthy (Con)...1036
Mary Gray (Lab)...965
Marion Lowe (Lab)...855
EUXTON NORTH WARD
Thomas Gray (Lab)...1086
Daniel Peter Gee (Lab)...989
Rosemary Russell (Con)...773
Gordon Marshall Alexander Mitchell (Con) ...769
Mary Buckley (Lib Dem)...234
HEATH CHARNOCK AND RIVINGTON WARD
Mary Patricia Case (Con)...732
June Molyneaux (Lab)...407
PENNINE WARD
Marie Elizabeth Gray (Con)...645
Janet Ross-Mills (Lib Dem)...350
Peter Wilson (Lab)...178
WHEELTON AND WITHNELL WARD
Iris Elaine Smith (Con)...1137
Christopher Howard (Lab)...884
Simon Parkinson (Con) ...746
Shelagh Graham (Lib Dem)...502
Paul Anthony Lowe (Lab)...514
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