MORE than 65,000 young people in Greater Manchester who have turned 18 this year are being urged to use their first opportunity to vote in the local elections on May 1st.

Bolton has one of the largest populations of 18 years-old voters in the region - over 7,000 - but according to research carried out by the Electoral Commission, more than one in three 18 to 24 year olds say they never vote in local elections - despite being interested in local issues like crime, housing, hospitals and education.

Only an estimated 11 percent turned out for the local elections in 2002, compared to 80 percent of eligible adults who have voted in local elections over the last ten years.

The reasons given for not voting range from disliusionment - thinking it makes no difference who wins and that individual voices won't count - to the perceived time-consuming inconvenience of the whole process.

Nicole Smith, director of policy at the Electoral Commission, said:"Recently we have seen thousands of young people take to the streets to make a stand on issues that affect them, so we know that they feel strongly about political and social issues. Local elections decide how things such as schools, hospitals and transport will be run - all of which affect young peoplehey need to be convinced that they have a real part to play in this process."

Those sentiments were echoed by Bolton Council's Returning Officer Bernard Knight at the unveiling of the 'Voteometer' on the steps of the Town Hall on Thursday.

With him was 18 years-old Louise Merrick, from Westhoughton. As a nurse and first-time voter, it is precisely her type of response that the Council is hoping to attract.

Mr Knight said: We are hoping that residents of all ages will take this campaign to their hearts and raise election fever to new heights."