Twenty candidates standing in this November’s inaugural Police and Crime Commissioner elections have written to home secretary, Theresa May, warning voter turnout could hit ‘rock bottom’.

In a letter co-ordinated by the Electoral Reform Society, and published in The Daily Telegraph some seven weeks before the polls, signatories say the new commissioners want the chance to speak for local people.

‘This will be impossible with rock bottom turnout and as the Police Federation have warned; low turnouts can also open the door to extreme candidates.’

In order to help maximise voter turnout on 15 November, the letter recommends adding candidate information to voting watchdog the Electoral Commission’s planned public awareness campaign, which begins October 22.

On that day all households in the 41 police areas in England (outside London) and Wales where PCC elections take place are set to receive an information booklet. Potential voters will be given details about the role of crime commissioners, how to vote and get further information about candidates through a dedicated Home Office run website and call centre.

Signatories - including former assistant director of the Metropolitan Police and Liberal Democrat London mayoral candidate, Brian Paddick and Labour MP Alun Michael, who is standing as candidate in South Wales - also urge the Government to ensure in future no major elections are held in winter.

Chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, Katie Ghose said: ‘The Home Office seems to think that if you build it, they will come, but this isn’t how elections work.

Warning the elections were ‘in serious danger of descending into a farce’, Ms Ghose urged the home secretary to heed the ‘warnings coming from all sides and take action now’.