NEW-STYLE voting forms have started arriving on the doormats of thousands of homes in a North city.
Sunderland City Council is among the authorities that are using postal voting in a bid to increase turnout.
The system is designed to make voting easier and more convenient.
Sunderland City Council's chief executive, Colin Sinclair, said: "The Government is keen to help councils introduce new and more innovative ways of voting to make it easier for electors, and we were pleased to be chosen as a pilot for postal voting in this year's local elections.
Everyone eligible to vote should receive their ballot paper by Wednesday. Voters have until 5pm on Thursday, May 1, to return their completed paper, either by post or at libraries in the city.
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