Hundreds of people could be prevented from voting in next week's election after delays in delivering postal ballot papers affected five councils.

Printing and distribution problems affecting Edinburgh, Fife, Aberdeenshire, Highland and Moray councils means people who are working offshore, on holiday or business trips may not be able to vote on 3 May.

A total of more than 120,000 have been affected. Highland Council has apologised to the 17,700 voters after difficulties with suppliers and Royal Mail delayed the papers being delivered until Wednesday.

The council's returning officer, Arthur Court, said: "We regret very much the delay in the delivery of postal ballot papers and the inconvenience this may cause voters."

Almost 50,000 voters in Edinburgh were affected after their forms were delayed for 24 hours.

In Aberdeenshire, nearly 25,000 people were still waiting for their ballots.

A council spokesman said a specialist firm had printed the forms and a contractor had been employed to deliver them to royal mail.

"Unfortunately, these processes were not completed as quickly as had been hoped."

A spokeswoman for a company which prints the forms, DRS Data Services said applications had increased this year, contributing to the delay.

Julie Morrison from Royal Mail said: "We understand there have been issues with printing and producing postal votes which have delayed them getting to us.

"As soon as the postal votes arrive with Royal Mail our people will be working to deliver those the next working day."

Postal ballots were introduced in May 2004 as a means of combatting voter apathy, but the system has regularly been beset by difficulties.

In the latest bid to tackle voter apathy, children are being encouraged to take their parents to the polls on 3 May.

The campaign, run by the Electoral Commission, also involves educating children about the electoral process in school so that they are more likely to vote when they are eligible.

Joelle Miller, mother to Sonny, 6, who will accompany her to the polls, said it will also benefit parents: "People have been prevented from voting before because of childcare issues.

"This will make things much easier for single mothers.

"I think as a nation we are quite apathetic when it comes to voting, so anything that helps combat it is good."

Andy O'Neill, head of the electoral commission in Scotland, said: "This will give people more flexibility.

And one of the things we are told when we conduct surveys is that young people do not actually know what it's like to be in a voting booth and it puts them off.

This way they will get used to the process at a young age."