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Manchester is one of 35 local authorities to receive Home Office approval to try out new election methods, which will allow people to vote at the weekend and away from home.

One polling station will be opened in each of Manchester's five parliamentary constituencies, including Blackley, on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 April - the weekend before the main election, taking place on Thursday, May 4.

If suitable premises can be found, the council intends to open one polling station in Manchester city centre in the hope of luring weekend shoppers away from the stores to exercise their democratic right.

For the first time, people will be able to cast their vote in any part of the city, regardless of which ward they live in.

Laptop computers, connected to the Electoral Services Unit via ISDN lines, will be used to ensure that people do not take advantage of the "vote anywhere" system and attempt to vote more than once.

Staff working at the polling stations will be provided with mobile phones and IT support staff will be on call over the weekend to deal with any technical difficulties that may arise.

All households in Manchester will be sent a leaflet explaining the pilot system, providing details of polling stations and opening hours, and posters will be placed in council offices and libraries.

Council bosses hope the relaxation of regulations, coupled with weekend voting, will encourage more people to take part in local elections, which in recent years have seen less than 1 in 4 people on the register turn out to vote.

Lightbowne councillor Paul Murphy welcomed the scheme, saying: "This pilot scheme provides Manchester with the opportunity to be at the forefront of modern voting methods. Recent turn-outs at elections has been very poor and hopefully this scheme will help improve this year's turn-out."