Your vote will make a difference

Millions across the world live in totalitarian states or in countries where a ballot is not worth the paper it is printed on.

In the United Kingdom we have a democracy that is free and fair. Other countries, such as Australia, have felt the need to introduce fines for those who do not turn out to the polling station. In Britain it is as much someone's right to not vote as it is to have their say.

But we would implore every reader to make time tomorrow to express a preference. Spoilt papers, while at least showing that someone cared enough to turn out, help no-one.

And in this election, in many seats across the West Midlands, every single vote will be vital. People will have to think very carefully about their choice of MP. It is not going to be a simple outcome on Friday morning where the party with the most seats forms a government.

Try as they might, the two largest parties are not on course to win the majority they each crave.

Both David Cameron and Ed Miliband have stubbornly refused to acknowledge that another coalition or a confidence and supply arrangement is looming. Their position on this is flawed and foolish.

Many people going to vote tomorrow would be keen to know what the plan will be in the event of a hung Parliament.

They will want to know if the Labour party will cosy up to the Scottish nationalists or if the Conservatives will ditch the Liberal Democrats in favour of seeking support from UKIP.

The smaller parties know they hold the cards already.

Refusing to even acknowledge this is like an airline refusing to tell passengers whether or not there are seat belts and life jackets.

We know full well that the best outcome for Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband is for one or the other to win.

But unless, in the death throes of this campaign, the polls suddenly shift the way they have not for months, neither will be heading straight off to Buckingham Palace to be asked by Her Majesty to form a government.

Voting will make a difference tomorrow. There will be questions over the legitimacy of the next government. How many individual votes the parties get does not normally matter as much as the number of seats they win. This time, if neither Labour nor the Conservatives are strong enough, it will all add up to answer the question: Who really governs Britain?