Lord Falconer

The government has confirmed that all of the postal vote ballot packs were with the Royal Mail by 5.00am on Wednesday - but officials failed to meet a midnight deadline.

Constitutional affairs minister Christopher Leslie said all packs had been delivered.

"I should like to put on record my thanks to the printers, Royal Mail and returning officers who have risen to the challenge of this large-scale all-postal pilot," he said.

"This is a trial, testing out new techniques, designed to make voting easier and more convenient for millions of people."

Lord Falconer had earlier conceded that not all-postal ballot papers were with the Royal Mail by last night's midnight deadline.

However the constitutional affairs secretary, who is responsible for elections, insisted that the four all-postal voting trials were "something of a success".

Sources confirmed that three per cent of ballot papers missed the deadline, but insisted they were on track for delivery by 5.00am.

The failure had threatened chaos in the all-postal ballots in key areas of the UK.

Staff at local councils worked throughout the bank holiday weekend to ensure that voters received their new ballot packs after a series of printing errors.

Flaws

The government has faced criticism that its decision to ignore the advice of the Electoral Commission and push ahead with all-postal voting pilots for the June 10 elections in four English regions led to a series of flaws in the system.

Deputy prime minister John Prescott insisted that three of the regions should use the same system as they will in referendums on regional assemblies this autumn.

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy described the situation as a "democratic disgrace".

"The postal vote situation is a disgrace, a democratic disgrace, no doubt about it," he told GMTV.

"John Prescott, who is the Cabinet minister who has responsibility for this, was publicly warned by the Electoral Commission - the independent body set up by the government to advise on the conduct of elections - and they said do not try out postal ballots in as many regions as four, because there are going to be all kinds of problems potentially."

Conservative spokesman Bernard Jenkin added that the success of the pilots has yet to be determined.

"The proof of the pudding is whether voters get the right ballot papers at the right time," he said.

"We continue to monitor a grave situation.

"The scramble to meet the June 1 legal deadline has exposed the chaos of these postal pilots, which was entirely inflicted by John Prescott.

"He could have avoided all of this by accepting the advice of the Electoral Commission and every other political party."