By Hayley Robinson

The way residents vote for Swale borough councillors is set to change.

The council usually holds it elections by thirds meaning a third of the borough's councillors are elected every three out of four years.

But from May 2011 whole elections will operate in the borough meaning residents will elect every councillor at the same time on a common date.

The council, following public consultation, voted to change the electoral arrangements during the extraordinary council meeting held at Swale House last night (Thursday).

It means those councillors who are elected in May this year will have to stand again next year at the same time as all other borough councillors.

Andrew Bowles, the leader of the council, said: "We hope that residents will seize the opportunity that the new voting system will give them and will use their right to vote.

"The new system should make it much clearer for residents to identify who their elected representative is, and councillors will now be able to concentrate on council business safe in the knowledge that they are all elected for a four-year term."

The advantages of whole council elections are that they offer more stability. In particular, it offers whichever party wins the majority of seats on the Council a clear, four-year term in which to see through their manifesto, and allows voters much more opportunity to change the overall political control of a council, as all councillors stand for election at the same time.

It also removes the annual pause when every spring the political business of the council slows down while the electoral process takes place.

Evidence from organisations such as the Electoral Commission shows that voter turnout is higher in areas that conduct whole council elections. There is also evidence that the elections by thirds system is confusing to voters.

There is still time to register to vote in this year's borough council elections.

The last day to register to vote in the Borough Council elections is April 20 - 5pm that day is also the deadline to register to apply for a postal vote in the elections or to change or cancel an existing absent vote arrangement.

The deadline for having a proxy vote (except for medical emergencies) in this year's borough council elections is April 27 2010.