THE television debates are over, postal votes are already flowing in and the parties are limbering up for the final week of campaigning.

The polls are open on Thursday, May 6 from 7am-10pm with the results expected in the early hours of Friday for the Parliamentary elections and on Friday daytime for the Reading Borough and Wokingham Borough council election results.

All of the candidates in Reading East and Reading West are on punishing schedules and most have endured hours and hours of hustings events and intensive interrogating from the voters. The close races have prompted some nasty attacks in party literature, with all the major parties having urged the opposition to withdraw "slurs".

The boost in Lib Dem support has prompted bookmakers to slash the odds on Gareth Epps taking Reading East from nearly 40/1 to just 4/1, but incumbent Conservative Rob Wilson is still the clear favourite to retain the seat. Labour's Anneliese Dodds' odds range from 8/1 to 16/1 with the major bookies.

In Reading West Labour is in a better position with Naz Sarkar at 2/1, but Tory Alok Sharma is the favourite. Lib Dem Daisy Benson has also seen odds cut but the race is clearly volatile; her odds range from just 33/1 at bet365 to 7/1 with Ladbrokes.

Fifteen of Reading's 46 council seats are also up for election, one each in all but one of the borough's wards. In Wokingham borough there are elections in 18 wards.

The Electoral Commission says 40% of English people mistakenly think they cannot vote without their poll card.

Clinton Proud, Head of Campaigns and Public Information at the Commission, said: "With many people voting in a general election for the first time, some voters will not be familiar with how to vote. And with different systems for different elections in England it is important that voters remember that for this election they vote with a single X".

Postal votes must be received by the Returning Officer by 10pm on May 6 at the latest, or the vote will not count. For security reasons postal voters will need to complete an additional form with their date of birth and signature which will be matched against those given when they applied to vote by post.

Mr Proud added: "For those voting in person, polling stations will be open from 7am-10pm on May 6. Don't worry if you can't find your poll card on the day - you don't need it to vote. If you can't remember where your polling station is, your local authority can tell you."

First time voters, or those unsure of what to expect when they go to the polling station can visit a virtual polling station at www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.

Voters can also call the Commission's helpline on 0800 3 280 280.