EAST Lancashire went to the polls today to deliver its verdict on its local councils -- and the BNP.

The far-right party has fielded22 candidates across three boroughs, a year after it shocked the country by grabbing three seats in Burnley. This time, it is contesting 13 of the 15 wards in Burnley.

But whereas last year boundary changes meant voters cast three votes in each ward, allowing them to register a protest vote with the BNP, this time the majority of the electorate will only have one vote each.

The BNP has spent the last 12 months attempting to build support in the Ribble Valley and has fielded five candidates in wards around Clitheroe.

The party has also made a beeline for Pendle for the first time, standing in four wards.

Like Burnley, Pendle also has several independents and Socialist Alliance candidates standing.

While Hyndburn and Rossendale have no BNP presence, both votes are expected to be close-run affairs.

In Rossendale, the Tories hope to seize power back from Labour on the back of the council's bad year, which included being named as the worst in the country by the Government.

And only one seat separated the ruling Labour group and the opposition Tories in Hyndburn. Labour snatched the borough last year. Hyndburn is the only East Lancashire borough to have an all-postal vote but it has already caused a row.

According to government figures, only 19 per cent of the 45,769 eligible voters had returned their ballot papers by the beginning of this week. But council officials said the real number was nearly 43 per cent, topping last year's final turnout of 36 per cent.

Jane Ellis, head of legal and democratic services, said: "The reason for the discrepancy is simply that as a result of focusing on the actual count process we didn't supply the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister with the up-to-date figures before their deadline. However I spoke to them yesterday and they have the correct figures now."

In Chorley, voters do not have the option of going to the polling station. Instead, they can vote by phone, internet or drop their postal ballots off in person.

South Ribble's voters also go to the polls this year. They vote once every four years.

Blackburn with Darwen Council today issued a statement after receiving calls from people asking why they were not getting the chance to go to the polls.

Chief Executive Phil Watson said that elections this year had been cancelled, by agreement with the government, because a boundary review which takes effect next year would mean that councillors voted in this year would have to stand again next year.

He added: "In addition, with the expense incurred by both the authority and candidates in holding elections every year a request was submitted to the independent Electoral Commission to cancel the 2003 elections."