St Albans District Council: Lib Dems gaining seats from Tories
Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live
Votes are still being counted in Tory-controlled St Albans where a third of the councillors are up for election.
So far the Liberal Democrats have gained four seats from the Conservatives in Marshalswick South, Park Street, St Peters and Batchwood wards.
The Conservatives have a majority of 12 on the council and are defending 15 seats.
Stevenage Borough Council: Labour hold
Labour has retained control of the council in Stevenage.
Hertfordshire: Counts continue around the county
All 10 lower-tier councils in Hertfordshire have had ballots.
In Welwyn Hatfield, a third of councillors are standing - that's 18 seats. The Conservatives currently hold power but the council nearly went to no overall control in 2018.
It said that the latest voter fraud figures from the Electoral Commission showed the proposals were still a "solution looking for a problem" and claimed the policy would cost up to £20m per General Election to implement.
Personation fraud accounted for eight of 266 cases allegations of fraud made in relation to last year's elections. No further action was taken for seven of the allegations and one was locally resolved.
A spokesman said: "Rather than using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, the government should deal with the real democratic problems we face.
"Ministers should scrap this policy before wasting any more time on this costly and dangerous distraction."
Watford takes part in voter ID pilot
Watford Borough Council, along with 10 other local authorities, has taken part in a pilot scheme, facilitated by the Cabinet Office, to make voters bring ID to polling stations.
It took part in the scheme for the May 2018 elections and agreed to do so again this year.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
The schemes were conducted to identify the exact impact of voter ID, including its cost, before it is introduced nationally and all the additional costs for conducting the pilot are being funded by the Cabinet Office. They aimed to address personation fraud - the crime of pretending to be someone else at the ballot box.
Voters in Watford Borough had to show their polling card or another form of ID in order to vote.
In March, a High Court judge ruled that the scheme was lawful after a campaigner said the trial would prevent people from voting. Neil Coughlan, 64, crowdfunded more than £32,500 to fight the case, claiming the pilot was not valid under the Representation of the People Act 2000.
Hertfordshire: Polls held for 10 councils
Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter
There have been no county council elections this year but all 10 lower-tier councils in
Hertfordshire - the districts and the boroughs - have had ballots on Thursday.
In Dacorum, East Herts and Hertsmere,
everybody is up for election, while a third of all
councillors are standing in the other seven authorities: Broxbourne, North Herts, St Albans, Stevenage, Three
Rivers, Watford and Welwyn Hatfield.
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The Conservatives run seven of the 10 authorities, with the Liberal Democrats in charge of Three Rivers and Watford, and Labour responsible for Stevenage.
The Tories are expected to hold Dacorum, East Herts, Hertsmere, Broxbourne and North Herts, while Labour should hold on to Stevenage and Watford is likely to stay Lib Dem.
But Welwyn nearly went to no overall control in 2018 and St Albans could also be interesting. There the Conservatives are defending 14 seats but have a majority of 12.
Three Rivers could go to no overall control, although the Tories are defending lots of seats.
Group leaders face election test in Milton Keynes
Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter
A third of Milton Keynes Council's
councillors have been up for election, so that's 19 members fighting for seats.
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The Conservatives are defending 12 of those 19 seats, with Labour needing to grab eight to take full control of the council. At the moment they're the minority administration, with Lib Dem support.
Labour leader Pete Marland is fighting for his seat, but he's in good company as Tory leader Alex Walker and his deputy Catriona Morris are in the same position.
Turnouts could be low, but small parties may make gains
Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent
The politics of the East of England is dominated by
the Conservatives.
They run 25 out of the 37 local authorities in the BBC East region
and the expectation is they will continue to do so after tonight.
But how many seats will they lose?
The sitting government always expects to take a hit at local elections, but this year things have been
complicated by Brexit.
The East was a largely Leave-voting area
and canvassers have found real frustration on the doorsteps.
I have heard stories about
Conservatives taking off their rosettes before delivering leaflets; of
doors being slammed in faces, candidates sworn at and even one Tory being
punched.
And it is not just the Tories. All the main
parties have reported a far more fractious atmosphere among voters.
So what will that mean for polling?
Turnouts are always much lower than for general elections and it looks as if it will be very low this time.
Anything under 30% is bad, but I am hearing it could be much lower.
It could be a good night for the
smaller parties and independent candidates.
The public do not think much of our
politicians at the moment and they may have shown that at the polls.
Bedford's mayoral election
Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter
In Bedford, five candidates are contesting the mayoral elections this year.
It's important to win the mayoral
contest as that gives the winning party the chance to form an executive and
choose who makes the key decisions, even if that means bringing in councillors
from other parties.
The Liberal Democrats have held the post since Dave
Hodgson took over from the late Frank Branston in 2009, but he'll face strong
opposition from the Tory, UKIP, Lib Dem and Green candidates there.
The picture in Bedfordshire
Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter
All the seats on Central Bedfordshire, Bedford Borough and Luton Borough councils are being contested.
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Central Bedfordshire currently has 52 Conservative councillors, with seven others made up of Independents, Labour and Lib Dems.
In the unitary authority's 10-year history, the Tories have never had fewer than 49 councillors so it would be a national news shock if the authority didn't stay blue.
The Labour-run council in Luton has had an interesting few months. On the non-political side, it's just appointed a new chief executive, plus plans for a new stadium for the town's football club have got the green light, subject to a call-in from opposition.
There have also been some de-selections of Labour councillors. Some are not standing, one is going independent, and one now standing as a Conservative candidate.
Three candidates are standing for Best4Luton, a party started by a couple of former Luton Conservatives.
Local elections 2019: The view from Peterborough, Milton Keynes and Bedford
Most
of these council seats were last contested in 2015. If a week is a long time in
politics, then four years is a lifetime.
Back then, the Conservatives won a
surprise majority in the General Election and the party’s
national popularity helped local Tory groups pick up dozens of council seats.
It means that while Labour and the Liberal Democrats are defending around half
their total number of seats on our councils, the Conservatives are defending
three quarters of them. That’s a huge ask, even before policies or the public’s
mood come into it.
Peterborough
will be closely scrutinised. Anger remains over the former Labour MP Fiona
Onasanya’s criminal conviction and refusal to quit. Conservatives hold the council with a
majority of just one – a small shift could lead it into no overall control or
further strengthen their standing.
Labour
has minority control of Milton Keynes Council, supported by Liberal Democrats. But the Tories are the largest party. Will Labour pick up enough seats for an outright majority? They would need to pick up eight, which will be tough.
Elsewhere,
Bedford will elect a mayor. Can the Liberal Democrat incumbent Dave Hodgson secure a
fourth term?
Live Reporting
All times stated are UK
St Albans District Council: Lib Dems gaining seats from Tories
Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live
Votes are still being counted in Tory-controlled St Albans where a third of the councillors are up for election.
So far the Liberal Democrats have gained four seats from the Conservatives in Marshalswick South, Park Street, St Peters and Batchwood wards.
The Conservatives have a majority of 12 on the council and are defending 15 seats.
Stevenage Borough Council: Labour hold
Labour has retained control of the council in Stevenage.
Hertfordshire: Counts continue around the county
All 10 lower-tier councils in Hertfordshire have had ballots.
In Welwyn Hatfield, a third of councillors are standing - that's 18 seats. The Conservatives currently hold power but the council nearly went to no overall control in 2018.
In Hertsmere, the whole council is up for election with the Tories expected to retain power.
St Albans District Council: Turnout estimate
Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live
In St Albans the overall turnout is estimated to be 44% with the final result expected at about 03:00 BST.
So far ward turnouts range from 33.05% (Harpenden North) to 49.81%( Marshalswick South).
Luton Borough Council: Turnout announced
Luton Borough Council has announced this year's turnout was 29.37% - that’s 42,904 verified votes across 19 wards.
Luton Borough Council: Counting well under way
Counting for all wards up for election at Luton Borough Council is under way with a result expected at about 03:30 BST.
All 48 seats are being defended. Labour currently holds power with 35 seats.
Broxbourne Borough Council: Conservative hold
A third of the seats were contested in Broxbourne with all 11 being held.
The Conservatives won all 10 seats they were defending and Labour held their one seat.
There are 30 seats on the council: 27 are Conservative, two are Labour and there is one independent.
Voter ID pilot is a 'solution looking for a problem'
The Electoral Reform Society has criticised the ID pilot scheme.
It said that the latest voter fraud figures from the Electoral Commission showed the proposals were still a "solution looking for a problem" and claimed the policy would cost up to £20m per General Election to implement.
Personation fraud accounted for eight of 266 cases allegations of fraud made in relation to last year's elections. No further action was taken for seven of the allegations and one was locally resolved.
A spokesman said: "Rather than using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, the government should deal with the real democratic problems we face.
"Ministers should scrap this policy before wasting any more time on this costly and dangerous distraction."
Watford takes part in voter ID pilot
Watford Borough Council, along with 10 other local authorities, has taken part in a pilot scheme, facilitated by the Cabinet Office, to make voters bring ID to polling stations.
It took part in the scheme for the May 2018 elections and agreed to do so again this year.
The schemes were conducted to identify the exact impact of voter ID, including its cost, before it is introduced nationally and all the additional costs for conducting the pilot are being funded by the Cabinet Office. They aimed to address personation fraud - the crime of pretending to be someone else at the ballot box.
Voters in Watford Borough had to show their polling card or another form of ID in order to vote.
In March, a High Court judge ruled that the scheme was lawful after a campaigner said the trial would prevent people from voting. Neil Coughlan, 64, crowdfunded more than £32,500 to fight the case, claiming the pilot was not valid under the Representation of the People Act 2000.
Hertfordshire: Polls held for 10 councils
Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter
There have been no county council elections this year but all 10 lower-tier councils in Hertfordshire - the districts and the boroughs - have had ballots on Thursday.
In Dacorum, East Herts and Hertsmere, everybody is up for election, while a third of all councillors are standing in the other seven authorities: Broxbourne, North Herts, St Albans, Stevenage, Three Rivers, Watford and Welwyn Hatfield.
The Conservatives run seven of the 10 authorities, with the Liberal Democrats in charge of Three Rivers and Watford, and Labour responsible for Stevenage.
The Tories are expected to hold Dacorum, East Herts, Hertsmere, Broxbourne and North Herts, while Labour should hold on to Stevenage and Watford is likely to stay Lib Dem.
But Welwyn nearly went to no overall control in 2018 and St Albans could also be interesting. There the Conservatives are defending 14 seats but have a majority of 12.
Three Rivers could go to no overall control, although the Tories are defending lots of seats.
Group leaders face election test in Milton Keynes
Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter
A third of Milton Keynes Council's councillors have been up for election, so that's 19 members fighting for seats.
The Conservatives are defending 12 of those 19 seats, with Labour needing to grab eight to take full control of the council. At the moment they're the minority administration, with Lib Dem support.
Labour leader Pete Marland is fighting for his seat, but he's in good company as Tory leader Alex Walker and his deputy Catriona Morris are in the same position.
Turnouts could be low, but small parties may make gains
Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent
The politics of the East of England is dominated by the Conservatives.
They run 25 out of the 37 local authorities in the BBC East region and the expectation is they will continue to do so after tonight.
But how many seats will they lose?
The sitting government always expects to take a hit at local elections, but this year things have been complicated by Brexit.
The East was a largely Leave-voting area and canvassers have found real frustration on the doorsteps.
I have heard stories about Conservatives taking off their rosettes before delivering leaflets; of doors being slammed in faces, candidates sworn at and even one Tory being punched.
And it is not just the Tories. All the main parties have reported a far more fractious atmosphere among voters.
So what will that mean for polling?
Turnouts are always much lower than for general elections and it looks as if it will be very low this time.
It was about 36% for the 2018 local elections, compared to a turnout of 69% for the 2017 General Election and 72% for the EU referendum in 2016.
Anything under 30% is bad, but I am hearing it could be much lower.
It could be a good night for the smaller parties and independent candidates.
The public do not think much of our politicians at the moment and they may have shown that at the polls.
Bedford's mayoral election
Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter
In Bedford, five candidates are contesting the mayoral elections this year.
It's important to win the mayoral contest as that gives the winning party the chance to form an executive and choose who makes the key decisions, even if that means bringing in councillors from other parties.
The Liberal Democrats have held the post since Dave Hodgson took over from the late Frank Branston in 2009, but he'll face strong opposition from the Tory, UKIP, Lib Dem and Green candidates there.
The picture in Bedfordshire
Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter
All the seats on Central Bedfordshire, Bedford Borough and Luton Borough councils are being contested.
Central Bedfordshire currently has 52 Conservative councillors, with seven others made up of Independents, Labour and Lib Dems.
In the unitary authority's 10-year history, the Tories have never had fewer than 49 councillors so it would be a national news shock if the authority didn't stay blue.
The Labour-run council in Luton has had an interesting few months. On the non-political side, it's just appointed a new chief executive, plus plans for a new stadium for the town's football club have got the green light, subject to a call-in from opposition.
There have also been some de-selections of Labour councillors. Some are not standing, one is going independent, and one now standing as a Conservative candidate.
Three candidates are standing for Best4Luton, a party started by a couple of former Luton Conservatives.
Local elections 2019: The view from Peterborough, Milton Keynes and Bedford
Ben Schofield
Political correspondent, BBC Look East
Most of these council seats were last contested in 2015. If a week is a long time in politics, then four years is a lifetime.
Back then, the Conservatives won a surprise majority in the General Election and the party’s national popularity helped local Tory groups pick up dozens of council seats.
It means that while Labour and the Liberal Democrats are defending around half their total number of seats on our councils, the Conservatives are defending three quarters of them. That’s a huge ask, even before policies or the public’s mood come into it.
Peterborough will be closely scrutinised. Anger remains over the former Labour MP Fiona Onasanya’s criminal conviction and refusal to quit. Conservatives hold the council with a majority of just one – a small shift could lead it into no overall control or further strengthen their standing.
Labour has minority control of Milton Keynes Council, supported by Liberal Democrats. But the Tories are the largest party. Will Labour pick up enough seats for an outright majority? They would need to pick up eight, which will be tough.
Elsewhere, Bedford will elect a mayor. Can the Liberal Democrat incumbent Dave Hodgson secure a fourth term?