THOUSANDS of Gateshead residents will help make democratic history this week when they get their first chance to cast their vote by post in this year's council elections.

From this week, more than 150,000 registered voters will receive postal voting cards and reply-paid envelopes, with voters able to cast their vote without having to wait for the May deadline.

Gateshead was chosen as one of the first areas in the country to be allowed to hold its local council elections entirely by post, in an attempt to get more people interested in local democracy and voting in local elections.

The move follows a successful trial two years ago, which saw the number of votes more than double in two wards in the borough.

At those elections there was a 62.2 per cent voter turnout for Whickham North and 46.3 per cent for Bensham.

This compared with 30.1 per cent and 19.5 per cent respectively at the previous year's elections.

Turnout in the two wards was the highest across the borough, and in the case of Whickham, it was one of the highest in the country.

This year, there will be no polling stations in the borough, but for any voters who prefer not to return their vote by post, Gateshead Civic Centre, local libraries and some council offices will accept sealed envelopes.