Voters should be offered free burgers to tempt them out to vote

A group of councillors is calling for 'incentives' to vote.

Other perks suggested in the report from the Labourdominated Councillors' Commission include free National Lottery tickets and trips to the chiropractor.

The report, commissioned by Communities and Local Government Secretary Hazel Blears, also suggests lowering the voting age to 16 and allowing sixth-formers to stand in local elections.

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As reported in yesterday's Daily Mail, it calls for councillors who lose their seats to receive 'parachute payments' from taxpayers.

Ministers are concerned about falling turnouts, with only around three in five voters bothering to turn out for the last two general elections. At local elections only about 25 per cent of the electorate turns out in many areas.

The commission says: 'We propose that where councils think it valuable to try to engage the electorate by offering an incentive to vote - perhaps by offering a chance to enter a lottery - they should be able to do so.

'The commission discussed the case for compulsory voting but settled on recommending the option of an incentive instead.'

The report highlighted two schemes in California in which voters were offered free doughnuts and trips to a chiropractor or a coupon for free chicken dinners.

Another idea raised by the commission was a modest council tax discount. Cabinet Minister Geoff Hoon has spoken in favour of this plan.

The report also calls for the voting age to be reduced from 18 to 16. The Isle Of Man lowered its voting age to 16 last year.

The report goes on: ' Allowing young people the chance of voting at 16 would give them a personal stake in citizenshipat a time when they were studying the subject at school. We believe, however, that young people will be more likely to vote if they have been persuaded of its importance and have ownership of that chance.

'If people start voting young they are more likely to continue doing so; we are convinced that many would exercise the chance to vote.'

They point to the election of a 'young mayor' by 11 to 18-year- olds in Lewisham, South-East London.

The turnout was 45 per cent - well above the 34 per cent for the adult mayoral election in the borough.

Mrs Blears said she was not convinced handing out doughnuts was the best way forward.

But she added: 'I welcome further debate about whether we should build a system of incentives to encourage people to vote in local elections.'