Image source, PA

As you'd expect all the leaders of Scottish parties are out and about today too.

• Nicola Sturgeon has been in Aberdeen where she promised voters "experienced leadership, a serious programme for government, and when the Covid crisis is over the right to decide whether Scotland should be an independent country".
• Speaking from Stirling, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross argued that his party "best placed" to stop another "divisive" referendum on independence.
• The new leader of Scottish Labour Anas Sarwar told voters in Glasgow: "Either we go back to the old arguments about a referendum with the SNP and the Tories, or we forge ahead with our national recovery with Labour - in this moment of national crisis, we must pull together, not go back to fighting among ourselves."
• Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater was in Edinburgh were she sought to highlight her party's "detailed plans to invest in a new deal for renewable energy, a new deal for workers and a new deal for nature".
• In North Berwick, the Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie accused the SNP of having a "constitutional obsession" and regretted the "political energy being wasted" on the independence debate.

Political party leaders have hit the road in England in a final push for votes ahead of Thursday's elections.

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the Conservatives faced some "tough contests" but the party was "fighting for every vote".
• Speaking in Stourbridge, Johnson said: "It is a very tough set of elections. When we stood last time for of these many council seats we were at a high water mark and we will be fighting for absolutely every vote."
• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer began a day of campaigning with a visit to Pontefract.
• Starmer said: "There was a mountain to climb when I took over as leader of the Labour Party.
• "We lost in December 2019 very badly and I've got to make sure the Labour Party is in a position to win the next general election when it comes. We're going into the elections tomorrow fighting for every vote", he said.
• Sir Ed Davey took the Lib Dems' campaign to his constituency in the London suburb of Surbiton
• Davey said: "We are going forward to polling day positively. We think we can make gains from the Conservatives and Labour, but it's just been such a weird campaign - it's difficult to say anything beyond that."
• The Green Party's co-leaders Jonathan Bartley and Sian Berry campaigned in south London.
• Bartley said: "In the last local elections we doubled our number of councillors in one election. We've been working for 40 years to get councillors elected - in one night we doubled 40 years work. We're anticipating more gains - probably not on that scale - but we want to increase the councils where we are running things around the country."

Image source, Getty Images

The short answer is yes.

If you have registered to vote, you will have had a polling card in the post telling you where your local polling station is but you don't have to take the card with you to cast your vote.

When you get to the polling station, give you address to the staff there and you will be ticked off a list. If you live in England, Wales or Scotland you do not need to bring any identification to vote.

This year things will look different because of the pandemic so make sure to:

• wear a face covering (unless you’re exempt)
• bring your own pen or pencil (there will be clean pencils available at the polling stations if you forget to bring your own)
• use the hand sanitiser provided when entering and leaving the polling station
• keep to social distancing guidelines, external

Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent

A new way of helping blind and partially sighted people to vote independently will be trialled by Broadland and South Norfolk councils tomorrow.

On the face of it, it's quite a simple idea: A portable speaker in the polling booth will read out the names of the candidates ..and their position on the ballot paper. A plastic braille sheet known as a tactile voting slip is then placed on top of the ballot paper pointing out the position of the different boxes allowing the voter to cast their vote.

Until now the tactile voting slip was used by blind and partially sighted people but a sighted person also had to go into the booth to read out the names.

Trevor Holden, the returning officer for Broadland and South Norfolk councils said: "It gives people who are registered as blind or partially sighted that valued degree of independence, they can now cast their vote without assistance.

Mike Wordingham from the RNIB said: "We will be monitoring feedback from the trial very closely, but we are cautiously optimistic that the audio device could be a game-changer in voting for blind and partially sighted people.

If successful, the idea could be rolled out nationally for future elections.

Elections guru, Professor Sir John Curtice, has been talking to the BBC News Channel.

He said a key thing to bear in mind with the local elections in England is that many of the seats were last up for grabs in 2016, before the EU referendum or in 2017, relatively early in the Brexit process.

This was before much of the "fairly substantial change in the character of support" for the Conservatives and Labour including the ability of the Tories to do well amongst Leave voters and thus within Labour's so-called "red wall" seats he added.

"Some of that should simply work its way through in to the local elections," he said, and it will "make it difficult for Labour to demonstrate that they are recovering" because, even if they "did a little bit better with Leave voters" compared to the last general election in 2019, "they could still be losing ground compared with 2016 and 2017".

Sir John said Labour are "for the most part, more on the back foot than the front foot" but he said things look better for the party than they did 10 days ago.

Thank you for your questions about the elections taking place tomorrow in England, Scotland and Wales.

There's still time to send them in. Our political correspondent Jessica Parker, external will be here at 15:00 BST.

Please tell us what's puzzling you or what matters to you most in tomorrow's vote.

Click here - or use the link above - to send it to us, and we'll do our best to answer.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has been campaigning in Surbiton in his own constituency, supporting the party's candidate for London mayor.

"We are community politicians, people know we get things done," he said

"We've had a weird election campaign because of the pandemic - not been able to get on the doors as much as we would have liked to, but when we have been able to talk to people they respond positively to the Liberal Democrat message."

Asked if he would predict how the party will do in tomorrow's election he said:

"We are going forward to polling day positively. We think we can make gains from the Conservatives and Labour, but it's just been such a weird campaign - it's difficult to say anything beyond that."

"It's been a tough campaign", he said.

There are 20 candidate standing in the election for London mayor.

Green party co-leaders Jonathan Bartley and Sian Berry have been campaigning in Lambeth in south London.

They met renters who the party say have been pressured to move out of their flats to make way for a new development.

Jonathan Bartley said councils across the country have become "complacent - they don't engage with local people."

He said people are electing Greens to be "that alternative opposition voice on their council. Once people see Greens elected and make a difference, the want more."

"In the last local elections we doubled our number of councillors in one election. We've been working for 40 years to get councillors elected - in one night we doubled 40 years work. We're anticipating more gains - probably not on that scale - but we want to increase the councils where we are running things around the country."

The new London mayor faces a brimming in-traypublished at 12:31 British Summer Time 5 May 2021

12:31 BST 5 May 2021

Tim Donovan
BBC London, Political Editor

There’s a brimming in-tray for whoever wins the London mayoral race.

Immense challenges lie ahead at City Hall after more than a year under the restraints of a pandemic.

The new mayor will need to keep a very close eye on the public health picture, liaising with the NHS, local councils and the emergency services and be prepared to lead communications if (or when) things flare up again.

Yet there’s a longer term challenge around economic recovery which is daunting and will gradually absorb more time and energy.

Especially as the furlough plaster is removed - and scarring revealed.

Limited resources. Plenty of levers. The same old mayoral story.

Ahead lies a genuine test of leadership : how to convene, collaborate and inspire.

But how to get the economic heart of the capital in particular working again?

In practical terms, one huge milestone is what the new mayor can agree with government over transport and how to finance it.

So far there have been only short-term emergency bailouts with attempts to extract political capital at a time of Transport for London’s extreme discomfort - starved of billions of its usual fare revenue.

Much hangs on the shape of what’s due to be agreed in the coming weeks.

On the two other major areas of influence, policing and housing, there will be no let up in the scrutiny of numbers: crimes, police officers and affordable homes.

When young people in care leave the system, they often face numerous challenges, with housing being one of the most significant.

Sara Ahmed, 23, from Pimlico, was in foster care until she turned 18, when she then had to live independently.

She was given accommodation in hostels, which she says offered poor living conditions, but knew other care leavers living in tents and derelict buses.

Sara has been waiting four years to be housed in suitable accommodation, after being told it would take about three months.

She wants the new mayor of London to do more to ensure there's enough affordable housing in the capital and help care leavers find suitable homes.

Video by Jamie Moreland

Do you have a question about the elections taking place tomorrow in England, Scotland and Wales?

As politicians spread out around the country in the final day of the campaign before polling day, we want to answer the questions that matter most to our readers.

Click here - or use the link above - to send it to us, and we'll do our best to answer.

Justin Greenland is a first-time voter from Hastings, East Sussex, who has been homeless and has struggled with his own mental health.

Ahead of tomorrow's local elections, the 18-year-old said mental health was an important issue when considering how he will vote.

He said: "It's not easy to find support. Everyone has their own story and everyone deserves to be heard."

Video Journalists: Yetunde Yusuf and Thomas Smith

West Midlands elections come along like busespublished at 11:46 British Summer Time 5 May 2021

11:46 BST 5 May 2021

Elizabeth Glinka
Political Editor, BBC Midlands

The prime minister has been campaigning in the West Midlands this morning.

Here in the region, it feels like elections arrive like buses; you wait for one and then 25 come along at once.

Tomorrow's vote brings a combination of those postponed last year due to the coronavirus outbreak, and those due this year.

All county council seats are up for grabs in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

All are Conservative controlled, and are unlikely to deliver any surprises. Likewise Unitary Shropshire.

Warwickshire has traditionally been most likely to swing, but with the Conservatives holding more than double the seats of Labour and the Lib Dems combined, recent revelations about the prime minister would have to have some serious cut through for either party to make inroads.

Normally, the big Metropolitan Boroughs that elect by thirds are less likely to have a change of control.

This time Solihull, Coventry, Dudley, Walsall and Sandwell all have elections, but there are definitely some ones to watch, not least because of the changing voting behaviour, which saw Labour’s ‘red wall’ collapse across the Black Country at the last general election.

Conservative-run Walsall and, to an even greater extent, Dudley, are finely balanced between blue and red.

Solihull, too, is currently Conservative-led, but the loss of just one seat, would mean losing control.

The Greens who are the main opposition party, have been building their base here for the last decade.In our smaller district councils - Nuneaton and Bedworth, Cannock Chase and Worcester are all on a knife edge.

The prime minister has been campaigning in Stourbridge, supporting the Conservative candidate for West Midland's mayor.

Mr Johnson said the result there is "going to be very close".

"It is a very tough set of elections", he said.

"When we stood last time for of these many council seats we were at a high water mark and we will be fighting for absolutely every vote".

Asked if the Conservatives could win a "hat-trick" in the mayoral races in Tees Valley and West Midlands, and the Hartlepool by-election.

"These are tough contests. Hartlepool hasn't been a Conservative seat since its inception. It will be a very tough fight, but I hope everybody gets out to vote."

Johnson was also asked if he would allow another independence referendum in Scotland, if pro-independence parties win a majority in the Scottish Parliament elections. He said:

"Let's wait and see what actually happens, but I think most people in Scotland, and around the whole of the UK, feel that - as we're coming out of pandemic together - this is not the time to have a reckless and, I think irresponsible, second referendum."

There are five candidates standing in the election for West Midlands mayor

Image source, PA Media

Image source, ChrisSteer

Voters in Hartlepool will elect a new MP to Westminster tomorrow, after the resignation of Labour's Mike Hill in March.

Mr Hill was due to face an employment tribunal later this year into claims of "sexual harassment and victimisation". He has denied the allegations.

He had served as the MP for the town since 2017.

The by-election will be held tomorrow to coincide with local and mayoral elections in England.

It has attracted a lot of national attention because it is the first time Labour and the Conservatives have faced each other in a national contest since Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson took over as leaders of their parties.

Starmer needs to show that he is rebuilding Labour under his leadership after its worst election defeat at the last general election since 1935.

Johnson will be keen to show that he is making further inroads in to Labour's so-called "red wall" despite allegations of sleaze.

The town could have been another Conservative gain at the 2019 general election, but the Brexit Party split the opposition vote, taking a quarter of the votes.

Labour leader Keir Starmer has been campaigning in Pontefract this morning, supporting Labour's candidate for West Yorkshire mayor.

Sir Keir told reporters Labour is "fighting for every vote".

Asked if he accepts tomorrow's election is a test of his leadership, he said:

"We're having a very positive reception on doorstep. We're going in to tomorrow in good spirits. Whatever the results are, I will take responsibility, as I take responsibility for everything in the Labour party.

"I took over the Labour party after the worst general election result since 1935 - we've got to rebuild into the next general election".

He was also asked if he was concerned polls suggest Labour could lose the Hartlepool by-election. He said:

"We've got lots of people on the ground in Hartlepool, knocking on doors having thousands of conversations with people - we're having a positive response in Hartlepool - we are fighting for every vote. We've got a very good strong candidate, to be a strong voice for Hartlepool, and that's the spirit that we're going in to these elections tomorrow."

You can find the full list of candidate standing for West Yorkshire mayor here.

There are 16 candidates standing in the Hartlepool by-election.

Across England more than 4,500 council seats will be up for election tomorrow in 143 local authorities.

Councillors are in charge of many services - from bin collections to social care, sports facilities and libraries.

Use our postcode checker to find who you can vote for in your area.

This year different safety measures will be needed in polling stations - expect plastic screens, social distancing and hand sanitiser when you arrive.

Oh, and you might want to take your own pen or pencil, if you can.

BBC Political editor for North East & Cumbria Richard Moss, external took a quick look around a scout hut which has been turned into a Covid-secure polling station.

Are voters digging England's election campaigns?published at 10:01 British Summer Time 5 May 2021

10:01 BST 5 May 2021

Almost 5,000 seats are up for grabs across England this week but it would be an exaggeration to say everywhere is gripped by election fever.

The pandemic, and restrictions on doorstep campaigning early on, have made the build up more muted than in previous contests.

I spoke to allotment holders in Swindon who said they were all planning to vote, although it was clear they were unlikely to elbow each other out of the way to get to the ballot box.

Since being allowed to knock on doors, party activists in the town insist they have had a good response.

One area that has been attracting national attention is Hartlepool - where the first by-election since Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer became party leaders will be held.

It's being seen as a crucial test of whether the Conservatives can continue their march into traditional Labour seats now Brexit is no longer top of the agenda, or whether Labour can stem the tide and start to rebuild.

Voters there told me what matters to them is not the splash it might make in Westminster, but what it could mean for local people in terms of jobs, investment and opportunity.

Across the country, the pandemic has brought home to people a sense of place. The confinement of lockdown has heightened awareness of what is on the doorstep.

These are local elections with national significance, and while the campaign might have been quieter in these Covid times, it doesn't mean the results won't reverberate.

Read Alex's report in full here.

Image source, BBC West

Eight year old Harry from Bristol asked the BBC's Election West podcast to find out which sweets the leaders of England’s main political parties have a soft spot for.

Labour's Sir Keir Starmer told the podcast: “I love a Rolo if that counts as a sweet and so does my daughter so whenever there’s a pack of Rolos in the house there’s a fight to be had. She normally wins that."

Boris Johnson said he prefers chocolate: “I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but I do like chocolate so it would probably be some sort of Cadbury’s something or other. It would be Fruit and Nut”.

Jonathan Bartley, the co-leader of the Green Party, said he was a big fan of Haribos until he became a vegan and discovered they contain gelatine: "I go for Bourbon biscuits, the chocolatey ones. I’m getting a lot of vegan chocolate but I’m really still searching for a decent vegan chocolate and it breaks my heart because I have a sweet tooth!”

The Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said he prefers the old favourites: “My grandparents used to run a little shop which had a lot of sweets in it, old-fashioned sweets in those big jars. My favourite was rhubarb and custard sweets – a wonderful colour, lots of yellow in it and…they tasted great.”