Voter turnout has been in decline

It follows mounting concern over voter apathy in light of falling turnout for the Scottish parliamentary elections earlier this year.

Turnout at the Scottish elections was 49.4%, down almost 10 points on four years earlier.

Interest in other elections is even lower, with only a quarter of Scots turning out for the last European elections.

It is now expected that Scotland will pilot an all-postal voting system in the next round of elections for Europe, which are due next year.

Tuesday's conference, convened by the Electoral Commission, the Scottish Executive and councils will also look at other options, including voting online and by mobile phone.

However, concern has been expressed that the moves may increase turnout but could be more open to electoral fraud.

Online voting will be considered

Meanwhile, it has been warned that more than 100,000 people have disappeared from the electoral register in Scotland in the least two years.

Changes in the rules governing the registration of voters now mean that people have to positively apply to be included on the electoral role.

In the Glasgow and Renfrewshire areas alone it is estimated 50,000 people have disappeared from the register.

As part of a wider inquiry into boundary changes, the Scottish affairs committee is poised to launch an investigation into how the trend can be reversed.

Andy O'Neil, of the Head of Office for the Electoral Commission, told BBC Scotland voting had to move with the times.

He said: "We are trying to come up with new methods of voting more convenient to our lifestyles and the way we live in the 21st century.