The Electoral Commission has warned that political parties are failing to engage the electorate with new technology.

The elections watchdog said in a report released on Monday that while more people voted in May's poll than in 2001, interest was still flagging.

Most voters found the general election campaign "lacklustre and boring", specially commissioned research found.

The authors picked out the failure to use technology as a particular reason for the problem, with door-to-door canvassing and leafleting still dominating campaigning.

The major parties had made more use of databases, but efforts concentrated too much on marginal constituencies to engage the nation as a whole.

"The 2005 general election seems to have been another false dawn - electronic campaigning did not play an integral role in the national campaigns," the report said.

The Commission praised the media for "generally informative, accurate, balanced and valued" coverage of the campaign but said declining column inches were a "cause for concern".

Chairman Sam Younger said: "In 2005 public awareness of party campaigns and turnout were modestly up on 2001.

"However, there is evidence that people felt uninspired by the campaigns and that there was a lack of connection - especially for those living outside the key battleground seats identified by the parties.

"Whilst parties have limited funds for campaigning and therefore have to target their resources, it's vital that they find ways to engage with the whole electorate."