BEWILDERED about what to do today?

Don't fear - here Political Reporter TOM EDWARDS produces our very own 'Dummies Guide' to what the EU fuss is all about.

1. WHAT IS THE EUROPEAN UNION?

THE EU contains 28 nations which have come together for trade and security.

It was originally set up as the 'European Economic Community' in 1958 with just six members, before becoming the European Union in 1993.

Those in it wanted peace after the Second World War, something they felt could be achieved by scrapping trade barriers.

There are now 28 countries in the bloc, including 19 'Eurozone' ones who share the single currency.

The single market, a phrase used ad nauseum during the campaign, has 508 million people.

2. HOW DOES IT ALL WORK?

THE EU is ran by the 'Council of Europe' - the 28 leaders of the different countries.

They meet regularly during the year to set its tone and direction, and debate major issues like foreign policy.

But the law making is very different - that's done by 28 Commissioners, one from each nation, headed by its President Jean-Claude Juncker who is elected by MEPs.

These folk essentially run the EU, setting its law-making programme and finances for the European Parliament to vote on in Brussels or Strasbourg.

The European Parliament is made up of 751 MEPs, including 73 from the UK.

That includes seven from Worcestershire, who are elected to serve the whole West Midlands region.

3. WHY ARE WE HAVING THE IN/OUT VOTE?

THE Prime Minister has promised it for years - even before he entered Downing Street.

Amid pressure from the rise of UKIP and his own MPs, David Cameron bit the bullet in 2013 and promised to renegotiate our membership of the EU before holding an in/out vote 'by 2017'.

He first suggested it as far back as 2009.

The question is: "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?”

4. CAN I VOTE TOMORROW?

Anyone over the age of 18 who is a British citizen resident in the UK can take part, and polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm across the West Midlands tomorrow.

UK nationals who have lived abroad for less than 15 years will also be able to have a say, as will members of the House of Lords.

But it goes further - those in Ireland, Malta and Cyprus resident in the UK can vote, as can Commonwealth citizens in the UK and Gibraltar.

Some forecasters suggest we are heading for an 80 per cent-plus turnout.

5. WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT THE EU?

This is very subjective - but most of its backers point to the free trade deal allowing us to export to other EU countries without extra costs - we exported out £223 billion of goods in 2015.

Some 44 per cent of all our exports go to EU nations.

The EU is the Britain's main trading partner and there is concern that if we leave some multi-nationals like Remain-backing Yamazaki Mazak, for example, may choose to relocate elsewhere.

EU laws also provide workers' rights and bring down mobile phone prices when overseas - some argue it makes calls and texts 70 per cent cheaper.

But others point to the EU helping achieve peace on the continent since the brutal Second World War.

The European Arrest Warrant makes it possible to extradite crime suspects.

And while we have seen a rise in migration from the EU, an estimated 1.2 million Britons now live in other EU countries.

6. WHAT'S BAD ABOUT IT?

ONE of the main arguments from the Leave camp is the loss of British sovereignty.

We could set our own limits on migration numbers, ending the freedom of movement across EU borders into Britain, and scrap EU laws on areas like working hours and measurements.

The UK would also be free to strike its own trade deals with growing economies such as Brazil, South Korea and Mexico rather than have to work through the EU.

Some critics say the UK may have 500 million potential EU customers, but the Commonwealth has 2.2 billion.

We could opt out of climate change rules, can fish our own waters and freely and control our own borders easier.

Some critics say the poor growth levels and alarmingly high youth unemployment rates in some EU states show how far behind it is compared to Britain, and that we should be more outward looking.

7. WHAT IS THE COST OF THE EU?

THIS is one of the main topics of debate during the campaign - sparked by Leave slapping the figure of '£350 million a week' on its Battlebus.

But in reality it's less than that, because this is the 'gross' figure - some of which never gets passed across due to the rebate.

Once you take off EU support like regional development, which benefits areas like Worcestershire, and agriculture support, Britain's weekly 'net' contribution is believed to be around £188 million a week.

Leave say Brexit would therefore free up something like £10 billion a year, to sink into UK public services like the NHS.

But Remain has always argued loss of the single market means less trade and a smaller economy, resulting in less taxation revenue and less cash to invest.

The reality is, both are forecasts.

The National Audit Office, using a formula which takes into account EU money paid directly to private companies and universities to fund research, has the UK's net contribution for 2014 as £5.7 billion.

But by being part of the single market, we exported £223 billion of goods to the EU in 2015.

9. HOW MUCH OF OUR LAWS ARE MADE IN THE EU?

ANOTHER big question - Remainers and Brexiteers have fought for years over this figure.

In just one television debate former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said it was seven per cent while Nigel Farage stated it was 75 per cent.

EU laws come from the European Commission, and over the last decade it's churned out between 1,000 and 2,000 laws per year.

But some are directives, some don't even affect us and some are lots of tiny laws under massive legislative Bills, like the EU-backed Trade Union Bill, making any like-for-like comparisons awkward and more than likely inaccurate.

Even the House of Commons library says it is "possible to justify" the accurate figure as anywhere from 13 per cent to 65 per cent - depending on what comparisons you use.

10. IS MIGRATION A PROBLEM?

DEPENDS on who you talk to - the Leave campaign has made this a central issue to its campaign, but Remain says institutions like the NHS would be crippled if freedom of movement was eliminated.

Total world net migration to the UK - the numbers coming in compared to those leaving - is running at over 300,000 a year, equivalent to a city the size of Newcastle.

That comes despite David Cameron pledging to slash it to below 100,000.

In terms of EU migration the net figure last year was 184,000, with just over 77,000 arriving here without employment.

Britain is not in the border-free Schengen area, which means EU arrivals still need to show their passports on arrival here, and can be refused entry if they are deemed a serious threat to society - of which 2,100 people were last year.

There are now an estimated three million EU nationals in Britain and 1.2 million Brits in EU states.

11. IF BRITAIN VOTES LEAVE, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

IF the vote is in favour of leaving, Britain would almost certainly spend at least two more years as members of the EU.

But negotiations would have to begin almost immediately on the process of leaving, with the Prime Minister - whoever that is - needing to start talks about our new relationship with the member states soon to make up the smaller, 27-state bloc.

12. WHEN WILL THE RESULT BE ANNOUNCED?

THE counts start shortly after 10pm tomorrow at 382 polling stations around Britain.

Local results will be declared at each local authority count before they are fed into 12 regional reporting centres around the UK - which in the West Midland's case is Birmingham.

Those 12 results will be collated together, with an announcement on the overall referendum result due to be announced at Manchester Town Hall on Friday morning.

By around 4am, bearing an extremely tight count, there should be a fairly clear picture of the result.

But don't expect a complete verdict until after 6am.