IT is very important for all Darlingtonians to come to the aid of their town today and to vote.

The elected mayor campaign has been a peculiar exercise in democracy.

First of all, less than five per cent of the town's electorate signed the petition which triggered the referendum.

Today, there is no minimum turnout in the referendum. This means that if only three people vote - two yes and one no - Darlington's council system will be radically and expensively overhauled even though there will have been no endorsement by the majority.

The campaign has been conducted by two small - very small - self-financed groups. We salute the campaigners on both sides who have spent their own time, money and shoeleather producing leaflets and tramping the streets to deliver them.

But is it really right that the quality of the debate about such an important issue should depend upon the wealth of the handful of individuals conducting it? What would have happened if one side had been joined by a multi-millionaire with an axe to grind who could have afforded to flood the town with enticing leaflets?

It has been difficult for the sides to enthuse the town because people are not being asked to vote on either policies or personalities. They are being asked to vote about changing the council structure, which is hardly a subject that enthuses anybody.

We believe that the "yes" campaigners are asking voters to take a giant leap of faith. The campaigners believe the change in structure will improve the quality of local leadership - but they cannot be certain because they do not know the policies or the personality of the person who will become mayor.

This, we believe, is too big a leap in the dark, too expensive a gamble to take, when the current system - although flawed - is not broken beyond repair.

That's our view. If you agree, vote "no". If you disagree, vote "yes".

But above all vote, because if the result is to have any weight and meaning to it, it needs to be the considered opinion of a considerable number of Darlingtonians.