Advance voting in retail venues was piloted in Swindon borough council at the May 2007 local elections. They were also used by three local authorities at the May 2006 local elections. These were in the London borough of Lewisham, Rushmoor borough council and Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council.
Voting however has not taken place inside supermarkets although mobile polling stations for advance voting were located in two supermarket car parks in the 2006 Lewisham pilot.
No assessment will be made of the consequences for retail competition policy of voting pilots in supermarkets until there is an intention to extend such pilots more widely.