THOUSANDS of people across the region are casting their votes today for US-style directly-elected mayors and new-look councils.

In a radical overhaul of local politics, taxpayers are having to grapple with postal votes, a single transferable vote system and the concept of big name mayoral candidates.

Voters in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and North Tyneside are being asked to choose the ideal candidate for mayor - a more personality-led system adopted by Labour to re-energise local politics.

But the move could backfire on the Government, with candidates on an anti-Labour ticket tipped for success in the North-East's three mayoral elections.

In Middlesbrough, where former zero tolerance police chief Ray Mallon is expected to claim victory, Labour insiders are privately fearful of a low turnout that could spoil the chances of their candidate, Sylvia Connolly.

In a purely postal vote, the number cast by last night was about 39,000 out of an electorate of 102,000.

An even bigger embarrassment could be awaiting Labour candidate Leo Gillen in Hartlepool's mayoral elections, where H'Angus the Monkey, also known as Stuart Drummond, is expected to pick votes up from the failing Labour camp.

People in Hartlepool can vote by post or at the ballot box and the result is expected between 11.15pm today and 1.30am tomorrow.

The possible delay in a final decision is due to a new "supplementary" voting system that allows voters to pick a second favourite candidate.

Under the new system, also called the single transferable vote, if one candidate gets more than half of the first choice votes, he or she will automatically be the winner.

If no candidate gets more than half the votes, then only two candidates with the highest number will remain in the contest. Then, the candidate with the highest number of first and second choice votes combined would win.

Meanwhile, in Government Minister Stephen Byers' home constituency of North Tyneside, and neighbouring authority South Tyneside, voters are also experiencing the total postal voting system for the first time.