The cost of the county council election this year could be close to £2m, according to a report outlining the likely bill for the poll in May.

Less than a third of eligible voters took part in the election for 81 divisions - three fewer than in 2013 - with 393 candidates standing.

In 2013, the bill for organising the county council election came in at £1,691,809 but KCC says that figure may increase to £1,951,391.

A report says that the council had estimated the final cost would be £2,065,000 but invoices submitted by ten of the 12 districts suggested the actual figure was likely to be lower.

The council says the increased costs are attributable to rising prices for postage, printing, staffing and equipment costs, which had been expected.

One of the chief costs for councils is paying ‘tellers’ to count votes and in Kent’s case, several hundred were recruited for what is one of the largest authorities.

Those counting votes are generally paid in the region of £70 to £100 by local councils. Other costs include fees for polling station clerks, hiring rooms or buildings and printing ballot papers.

The costs of local elections are met by councils who do not receive additional funding but can reclaim VAT on certain costs.