Election supremo Stephen Gerrard is hoping voters will turn out in force at the Wiltshire Council elections.

The new Wiltshire Council has been formed as a result of the abolition of Wiltshire County Council and the four district councils.

Polling day is June 4 and there are more than 350 candidates vying to become the 98 Wiltshire councillors. Also on June 4 are the European Elections.

Mr Gerrard, a service director at Wiltshire Council who is overseeing the elections, said recent revelations about MPs’ expenses might encourage a good turn out.

He said: “On a historical basis turnout at local elections is about 40 per cent. With the interest in politics nationally at the moment the turnout could be driven up or down. The stories about MPs’ expenses will either switch people off or they will want their voice heard at the ballot box.

“We would be disappointed if the turn out was below 40 per cent and we hope as many people who are registered to vote will do so.”

Electoral staff at Wiltshire Council have started to count the postal votes which are expected to total 50,000.

Once polling closes at 10pm on June 4 the ballot boxes will be taken from the 361 polling stations to one of four locations where the counts will take place and will be guarded by security staff overnight.

The counts will start at 9am on Friday June 5 and will be held at the Olympiad, Chippenham, Devizes Leisure Centre, the Civic Hall, Trowbridge, and the City Hall, Salisbury.

The European ballot papers will be separated from the Wiltshire Council ballot papers and taken to the Olympiad at Chippenham where they will be stored until Sunday June 7 when they will be counted at 4pm to synchronise with other European countries.

The results should be ready by 9pm and will be announced by council officials in Poole, Dorset, who are co-ordinating the Euro elections for the South West.

See this week's Wiltshire Times for a full list of candidates and the views of the minority parties, including the Greens, English Democrats, UKIP and the BNP