COME local election time, the Evening News traditionally takes soundings to find out what the public want their councillors to do - and how much their would-be representatives are prepared to pledge in fighting for it.

We deliberately avoid the risk of our coverage becoming bogged down in the rhetoric of national party manifestos - and with good reason.

General elections are the time for the broad brush view of issues like transport and the environment, of the policies which mean that too many people know what it's really like to be a 56-hour-a-week teacher, or a nurse rushed off his or her feet, or a pensioner struggling to make ends meet in 21st Century Britain.

Local elections are about refuse collection, council tax, amenities, planning, housing and the future of our communities.

Each has its own agenda. In Worcester, that means it's also about the ambience and balance of life in a city which has no cultural policy worth the description.

As the Bishop of Worcester points out, today, it's also about the sacrifices many people make in the interests of the community, whether we see eye-to-eye politically or not. And it's not about racism.

However, to have a say about how those elected members govern our lives - and to earn the right to moan, as well - every last eligible voter must take responsibility for electing them in the first place.

It's a choice the population of Iraq is just beginning to understand. We've enjoyed it for centuries. In other words, your vote counts. Before 9pm tomorrow, use it.