WITH the polls due to close at 10pm in the referendum for an elected regional assembly, hundreds of thousands of people across the North-East have still to cast their vote.
Latest figures showed that turnout has topped 41 per cent of the 1.9 million people eligible to vote.
The ballot is all-postal although voters can hand-deliver their papers to 23 collection points set up across the North East until 10pm tonight. The result will be announced, possibly around midnight, at the Crowtree Leisure Centre in Sunderland.
Labour Party chairman Ian McCartney, who spent yesterday drumming up support for John Prescott's plan, believes the result will be close.
He said: ''All indications are that the result will be very close. It is vital that local people don't miss their chance to vote yes to their own regional assembly.''
Supporters of the assembly say it would give local people a stronger voice on matters important to the region but anti-assembly campaigners maintain it would have no real powers with important issues still decided by central government.
John Elliott, chairman of the anti-assembly North East Says No (Nesno) campaign is, however, confident of victory.
He said: ''When the result is finally announced on Thursday night we want the politicians to be in no doubt that the people of the North East have rejected the expensive white elephant.''
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