VOTERS will be asked to make their voices heard on the continent on June 10 by completing a second ballot paper for the European Parl-iament.

As the Euro vote will be held on the same day as the district elections, it is hoped the turnout will improve on the 24 per cent recorded five years ago.

Residents will be helping to select seven Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), who will represent the West Midlands in the 732-member body.

The electorate, however, will not simply tick the name of the person they want to represent them.

Voting in the European election is carried out under the proportional representation system and is far removed from the one used in Britain.

Votes will be cast for a party and not an individual.

Then, the total number of votes for each party will be added up throughout the West Midlands and the seven seats will be shared by the parties, so reflecting their share of the vote.

Each party has put forward a list of candidates in priority order so those at the top of the list stand a far better chance of becoming MEPs than those at the bottom.

A total of nine parties have put forward 51 candidates .

The parties are: The British National Party, The Common Good, Conservatives, Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Pensioners Party, Respect - The Unity Coalition, and the UK Independence Party.

Candidates come from all over the country, and Liberal Democrat Mike Dixon is the only one from Kidderminster.

The West Midlands constituency, one of nine throughout England, elected eight members in 1999 but this has now been reduced to seven, in line with the rest of the UK.

Once elected, most parties organise themselves into one of eight ideological groups.

They are:

Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats (EPP-ED) - including the British Conservative Party and one Ulster Unionist MEP.

Group of the Party of European Socialists (PES) - including the British Labour Party and one SDLP MEP.

European Liberal, Democratic and Reformist Group (ELDR) - including the British Liberal Democrats.

Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (EUL/NGL) - no UK members.

Group of the Greens/European Free Allance (Greens/EFA) - including the British Green Party, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru.

Union for a Europe of Nations (UEN) - no UK members.

Europe of Democracies and Diversities (EDD) - including the UK Independence Party.

The non-attached/independent members(IND) - including one Democratic Unionist MEP.

The Euro count will be held on Sunday, June 13 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham and the results are expected to be known by about 10.30pm.

The party candidates

Conservative Party: 1 Philip Rodway Bushill-Matthews, Leamington Spa; 2 Philip Charles Bradbourn, Sedgley; 3 Malcolm John Charles Harbour, Solihull; 4 Andrew James Griffiths, Dudley; 5 Peter Butler, Olney; 6 Michael John Burnett, Solihull, 7 Jeremy John Elton Lefroy, Keele.

Labour Party: 1 Michael Maurice Cashman, Birmingham; 2 Neena Gill, Birmingham; 3 Susan Mary Hayman, Pershore; 4 Anthony Paul Carroll, Coventry; 5 Claire Edwards, Rugby; 6 Mohammad Nazir, Walsall; 7 Jane Louise Heggie, Hednesford.

Liberal Democrats: 1 Liz Lynne, North Littleton; 2 Paul Calvin Tilsley, Hall Green; 3 Roger Philip Bennion, Tamworth; 4 Martin Marshall Turner, Birmingham; 5 Lorely Jane Burt, Solihull; 6 Nicola Sian Davies, Warwick; 7 Michael David Dixon, Kidderminster.

Green Party: 1 Chris Lennard, Malvern; 2 Thomas Christopher Hellberg, Rugby; 3 Barney Smith, Birmingham; 4 Damon Leroy Hoppe, Stone; 5 David Wall, Lichfield; 6 Rebecca Roseff, Hereford; 7 Felicity Mary Norman, Luston.

UK Independence Party: 1 Michael Nattrass, Sutton Coldfield; 2 Richard Bradford, Shifnal; 3 Denis Vernon Brookes, Market Drayton; 4 Richard John Chamings, Malvern; 5 Christopher Rupert Kingsley, Hereford; 6 Greville James Guy Warwick, Kenilworth; 7 Andrew Moore, Solihull.

British National Party: Simon Darby, Cannock; Simon Charles Smith, Smethwick; Martin David Roberts, Worcester; Robert Purcell, Acocks Green; Mark Andrew Payne, Coventry; Michael Coleman, Stoke-on-Trent; William Thomas Locke, Aldridge.

The Common Good: Dick Rodgers, Birmingham.

Pensioners Party - Your Present, Your Future: Barry Hodgson, Penn.

Respect - The Unity Coalition (George Galloway): John William Rees, London; Salma Yaqoob, Kings Heath; Cheryl Jacqueline Garvey, Acocks Green; Mohammad Naseem, Halesowen; Winifred Olive Mary Whitehouse, Dudley; Anil Seera, Handsworth; Penelope Hicks, Coventry.