Boris Johnson admits the local election results in some parts of England have been "tough" for the Tory party
The Conservatives have lost more than 480 council seats across England, Wales and Scotland
The party has lost key London councils to Labour, and southern councils to the Liberal Democrats, who have gained more than 190 seats across England
Sir Keir Starmer has hailed a "really good set of results" for Labour - however major gains in England have not been made outside London
The BBC calculates that based on these results, if the whole country had been voting - Labour would have 35% of the vote, Conservative 30%, Lib Dems 19% and others 16%
Labour has become the second largest party in the Scottish council elections, but the SNP continues to dominate
In the Northern Ireland Assembly election, Sinn Féin has received the largest number of first preference votes but the count is ongoing
The Conservatives have seen heavy losses in Wales, while Plaid Cymru have made gains
Laura Kuenssberg
BBC News
With the usual caveats about expectations, my sense now that the polls have closed is that the Tories are pessimistic about their prospects in London, the South East, and Scotland. Labour are expecting some progress, but no big leap forward. And the Lib Dems seem relatively chipper.
But it sounds like the turnout is low - and some counts could even finish early.
David Wallace Lockhart
BBC political correspondent
Image source, PA MediaScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross urged voters to send "the strongest possible message" to the SNP
A Scottish Conservative source said the situation north of the border “is not looking good” and pointed the finger of blame at the prime minister, Boris Johnson.
They predicted “heavy losses” for the Tories in Scotland and insisted “it’s all down to partygate and Boris”. They added that those who would normally back them were “understandably, and rightly, angry” and had opted to stay home rather than vote.
However, other Scottish Tories who spent the day on the doorstep suggested it wasn’t a dominant issue, and that voters were more concerned with local factors.
Scottish Labour seem relatively confident about coming second in terms of vote share. But it feels like a totemic moment – such as becoming the largest party on Glasgow City Council once again – remains slightly out of reach.
The main question for the SNP is just how big a margin of victory they secure. Sources say turnout will be key here.
Counting gets underway in Scotland on Friday, with the final result expected late afternoon.
Ione Wells
Westminster Correspondent, BBC News
Labour were diverting their activists to Wandsworth and Croydon this evening - emailing members that help was needed "to tip the balance in Wandsworth and Croydon".
Wandsworth is a key Labour target. Tory activists there had been concerned about a low turnout, but seemed more optimistic later that they were getting their vote out. However, they were admitting the final result felt "impossible" to call.
Croydon is Labour-held, but other parties have been eyeing it up - seizing on the fact the council declared bankruptcy nearly 18 months ago.
Ione Wells
Westminster Correspondent, BBC News
All parties are reporting a low turnout across London and the South East of England.
This was expected, but sources say it's significantly the case even in marginal councils like Wandsworth - where the contest has had more publicity than most, with Wandsworth a key Labour target. It's been held by the Conservatives for 44 years and has low council tax rates.
Around 4.30pm, local Tories were speaking of a very low turnout - 15-16% in some wards, down 2-4% on a similar time in 2018.
Tory sources also reported that turnout was down 5% on 2018 in Chelsea and Kensington, which they hold, with some wards showing a strong Lib Dem performance.
Both Labour and Tory sources are briefing that they expect Barnet to switch to Labour, but that Wandsworth is on a knife edge.
If there's a low turnout there, does this mean Labour doesn’t get the surge it hoped for? Or that many Tories haven't shown up to vote?
The first set of results will be declared in English councils, where all parties were eagerly eyeing-up possibilities for gains.
Here are some of the key contests to look out for in the next few hours, and estimated declaration times - these are not set in stone and could slip, although low turnouts in some areas could mean the results come through more quickly than expected.
Hartlepool: The Conservatives made spectacular gains at last year's local elections here to become the largest party with 13 seats, two ahead of Labour. If they did as well again this year, they'd be looking at an overall majority, but it's probably more likely that the council remains hung.
Estimated result declaration: 01:00
Sunderland: The Conservatives will be hoping for gains in Sunderland, which has been controlled by Labour since its formation in 1974. Labour currently has 43 seats to the Conservative’s 19 in the city, which leaned towards Leave in the Brexit referendum.
Estimated result declaration: 01:30
Westminster: In recent elections, Labour has gradually increased its number of councillors and will want to make more progress this time. But Labour (which currently has 19 seats) will need a big swing to take overall control of the council from the Conservatives, which have 41.
Estimated result declaration: 03:30
Southampton: The margins are fine here, where the Conservatives have 25 seats and Labour 23 on the city council. The Conservatives ended nine years of Labour control last year. Now Labour is looking to retake power.
Estimated result declaration: 05:30
Wandsworth: This is one of the most closely-watched councils in London and a key Labour target. Famous for its low council tax, Wandsworth has been under Conservative control since 1978. But Labour is now tipped to take control.
Estimated result declaration: 06:30
Image source, EPANow the polls are closed, you may be asking: why no exit poll?
On the night of general elections in the UK, exit polls project the overall result (i.e. how many constituency seats each party has won).
There is no exit poll for these local elections though. The BBC will, however, release a projected national share of the vote on Friday.
This is a rough estimate of how well or badly parties would have done in a national election, if voters had behaved in the same way.
In the meantime, we’ll have to wait for the official results, due in the coming hours and days.
Stay tuned and we’ll let you know the results as soon as they’re declared.
Nick Eardley
Political correspondent
Image source, Reuters/ EPAWith the polls now closed, it's time to take a look at what these, mostly local, elections mean.
Local issues are important - but the results will tell us something about the bigger picture too.
It’s the first electoral test since the cost of living crisis hit hard – and since the row over Downing Street parties became such a big issue at Westminster.
Will the Conservatives be punished by voters? If so, who will benefit?
Tory strategists expect losses, but the extent of them will be important. A really bad result could lead to more questions about the prime minister - and whether he’s still an electoral asset for his party.
A Tory source admits tonight that the overall picture is likely to be “tough”, arguing incumbent governments always find mid-terms elections hard.
But the Scottish Tories are already predicting heavy losses - with a senior source pointing the finger of blame at Downing Street (the full picture is a likely to be a bit more complicated). A source said tonight: “Its not going to be a good election for us - it’s down to Boris and Partygate”.
These elections are a test for Sir Keir Starmer’s attempts to revitalise the Labour Party after 2019 too. Can he win back traditional Labour voters and begin to reassemble the ‘Red Wall’?
Conservative and Labour HQs will be watching Wales and Scotland closely. If there has been a Labour revival, you would expect to see the party pick up seats in Wales when results come in tomorrow.
Labour would also be looking to make gains in its old Scottish heartlands and finish second above the Conservatives - something sources close to the campaigns are predicting tonight.
The Liberal Democrats have been targeting some historic Tory strongholds, believing the 'Blue Wall' in parts of the South of England is vulnerable. A party source said tonight that they were cautiously optimistic about “modest gains” in those areas.
In Northern Ireland, voters are choosing who will be in the devolved assembly. This could be a landmark election, with Sinn Fein battling to have the most seats for the first time. Can they beat the DUP?
The results won’t start coming in until tomorrow lunchtime, but this will be one of the crucial stories of these elections.
In Scotland, the SNP are expected to continue their dominance. But how enthused is their voter base with the independence campaign making little progress since last year’s Holyrood election? In Wales, have Plaid made any progress?
There’s a long moight, and a long day. of counting and analysing ahead. Time for a coffee.
The polls will close at 22:00 BST for the local elections in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Then the counting can begin.
Most results should be known by Friday evening, with those in England expected first.
Image source, Getty ImagesIt depends on when the count begins.
In England, just over half of the councils are expected to count overnight after the polls close, with the rest beginning on Friday morning.
Counts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all expected to begin on Friday - so most results should be known by Friday evening.
Whether you're planning to whip out the popcorn and glue yourself to the news until sunrise, or prefer to wait and get the key headlines at a slightly more reasonable hour, the BBC has got you covered:
Online
Image source, .TV
Image source, .Radio
Image source, Getty ImagesWith a few hours remaining before polling stations close, are you still unsure about the dos and don’ts when it comes to casting your vote?
Local elections are taking place in England, Scotland and Wales, while in Northern Ireland people are voting for members of the Northern Ireland Assembly. There are also be a number of mayoral seats up for grabs in England.
This handy guide aims to cover every possible scenario for a would-be voter.
Voters have been heading to the polls in the UK and so have their canine companions.
Taking photos of dogs on election day has become something of a tradition on social media in recent years.
Here are some photos that deserve a round-of-a-paws.
Elections 2022: A tale of dogs at polling stations
Here are a few things you need to know about the Scottish council elections before heading to the polling station.
Scotland elections 2022: What you need to know before heading to the polls
Image source, .Online coverage of election night will come from the BBC newsroom in central London
The BBC, like other broadcasters, is not allowed to report details of campaigning or election issues while the polls are open on Thursday for elections in Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland.
The BBC is required by electoral law to adopt a code of practice, ensuring fairness between candidates, and that is particularly important on polling day.
The code of practice is contained in more detailed election guidelines which are written and published for each election, and they include guidance about polling day.
The BBC does not report on any of the election campaigns until polls close at 22:00 BST on TV, radio or bbc.co.uk, or on social media and other channels.
However, online sites do not have to remove archived reports, including, for instance, programmes on iPlayer. Any lists of candidates and the guide to parties' policies remain available online during polling day.
Image source, Getty ImagesThere are just over four hours left to vote today, so let's recap on what's up for grabs across the UK:
Use our postcode-checker to find out whether there is an election in your area.
Image source, Getty ImagesIt's how democracy works, folks - everyone who is eligible to vote can do so, even if it means shipping a single ballot box to a small island off Northern Ireland a day in advance.
With no ferries scheduled until after polls closed, a ballot box was shipped to Rathlin island on Wednesday.
Like everyone else, voters on the six-mile wide island are electing the 90 members of the Northern Ireland assembly.
The ballot box was shipped form Ballycastle to Rathlin on Wednesday
Officials proposed removing the ballot box from the island over a decade ago, but residents successfully argued doing so would be undemocratic as most would have to catch a ferry to vote.
Over 100 people were on the roll in 2019, but that figure is expected to tick up a little this year.
Read up on Northern Ireland's election here.
Voters across Scotland are going to the polls to elect 1,227 new councillors to the country's 32 local authorities.
Each council is divided into smaller areas called wards, with every ward electing between one and five councillors.
Unlike other elections in Scotland, people vote using numbers - rather than by putting an X in the box next to their preferred candidate.
Image source, ELECTORAL COMMISSIONVoters rank their preferences using numbers in council elections in Scotland
You are given a ballot paper that lists all of the candidates who are standing to be councillors in your ward.
You are then asked to number the candidates in the order of your choice by putting 1, 2, 3 and so on in the box next to each one - although you don't need to rank every candidate if you don't want to.
This is known as the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, with councillors elected through a mathematical process based on how they are ranked by voters.
Image source, EPALife is all about priorities, and this newly married couple have made theirs pretty clear.
Still dressed in their wedding finery, Ciaran and Natalie stopped off to vote at a youth club en route to their wedding reception in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
What a way to make their big day even more memorable!
Get up to speed with the picture in Wales in 90 seconds
Every council seat in Wales is being contested today, with a massive 1,160 seats up for grabs.
But this council election has one crucial difference to all previous ones - it's the first in Wales where 16- and 17-year-olds have the right to vote.
About 70,000 teenagers will be able to cast their ballot, with about 2.2 million people eligible to vote across Wales.
In Scotland, over-16s can vote, but in England the minimum age is 18.
Find everything you need on who can vote here.
There are dog people, and there are cat people.
Social media users have been sharing the traditional snaps of playful pooches outside polling stations - but it seems cat-lovers are not to be outdone.
They're been kitten around, too - sharing pictures of their feline friends as they head out to vote.
As far as election officials are concerned, snaps like those below are purr-fectly fine. But you're discouraged from taking any photos inside a polling station.
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