Summary

  • This year's local elections are under way in England

  • Voters are deciding who runs services in 230 local councils - with around 8,000 councillors' seats and four local mayoral posts up for grabs

  • For the first time, voters will need to show photo ID in polling stations - passports, driving licences and some other forms of ID can be used

  • Local councils are responsible for many public services, including schools, care for elderly and disabled people, and fixing potholes in some roads

  • Polls are open until 22:00 tonight

  • The BBC, like other broadcasters, can't report details of campaigning or election issues while polls are open - instead expect plenty of traditional snaps of dogs at polling stations

Live Reporting

Edited by Nathan Williams

  1. Voting today? Here's your checklist of things to consider

    A polling station in SheffieldEPA

    If you're planning to vote today, here's what you need to know...

    • Is there a vote in your area? You can check by using our nifty postcode look-up. Or, if you'd prefer, the Electoral Commission has an alphabetical list
    • Have you got your ID? For the first time, voters will need to show photo ID in polling stations - passports, driving licences and some other forms of ID can be used. See more here
    • Can you get to the polls in time? They're open until 22:00 tonight. If there's a queue when you get there, you'll still be able to vote as long as you joined the queue before 22:00
    • What seats are up for grabs? There are 230 councils with around 8,000 councillors' seats and four local mayoral posts being contested
    • Where can you follow the results? We'll have all the results and analysis during the night and throughout Friday on the BBC News website

  2. Everything you need to know in 100 words

    A woman walks up some stairs with a polling station sign in the backgroundEPA

    Local elections are happening today in England only. Voters will decide who runs services in 230 local councils.

    There are around 8,000 councillor seats and four mayoral posts up for grabs - check if there's a vote in your area here.

    For the first time, you’ll need to show photo ID to vote in polling stations. Passports, driving licences can be used - more details on accepted ID are here.

    Polling stations are open until 22:00 tonight.

    You can follow all the results and analysis during the night and throughout Friday on the BBC News website.

  3. Can I take a selfie in a polling station?

    Jennifer Clarke
    BBC News

    Woman takes a selfie at the polling stationPA Media

    You're not allowed to take photos inside a polling station because the Electoral Commission - which oversees UK elections - says it risks the secrecy of the ballot.

    The punishment for revealing how someone else voted - even accidentally - is a fine of up to £5,000, or six months in prison.

    But people are welcome to take photos outside - whether it be of them or their dogs...

    There are a whole host of rules about what you can and can’t do on polling day, including whether you can bring your own pen, take your pet into the booth, and post about your vote on social media.

    Find out more here.

  4. Dogs head to polling stations... with their voters

    #DogsAtPollingStations has become an election day staple, and we'd be remiss not to bring you the good boys on the live page.

    These dogs were all up bright and early to accompany their humans this morning.

    A dog outside a polling stationRachel Burden/Twitter

    The BBC's Rachel Burden took her pooch along with her this morning

    Enzo, at Highfields Centre, Cannock Chase.Anna Du-Mont/Twitter

    Enzo, an eight-month-old ‘Springador’ (Springer Spaniel / Labrador), accompanied his owner at Highfields Centre, Cannock Chase

    Frank the dog, Venture Centre in Lawford, Essex

    And Frank waited patiently outside the Venture Centre in Lawford, Essex

  5. WATCH: Voting rules in one minute

    Voters today will need to show photo ID to get their ballot paper in polling stations - but what other rules do you need to know about?

    Our political correspondent Ione Wells runs through them in one minute:

  6. No polls in Wales or Scotland - or Northern Ireland yet

    Rob Corp
    Live reporter

    A polling station sign beside a hedge and some union flagsReuters

    Our coverage today is focused on England, where more than 8,000 seats are being contested at 230 councils.

    Mayoral elections are also taking place in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.

    In Northern Ireland, 11 council elections are being held on 18 May.

    If you live in Scotland or Wales then you don’t have any elections today.

    Councils in those two nations hold elections every five years - the next poll is not due until 2027.

    We do know that around a third of English councils holding elections today will count their ballot papers overnight so we will be able to bring you those results here live on the BBC News website during the hours of darkness.

    We’ll then bring all the other results during Friday as councils aim to get everything done and dusted ahead of the Coronation long weekend.

  7. Can I take my dog with me to vote?

    Here's a ruff guide from animal welfare charity Blue Cross so you know what's paw-sible.

    Animals, apart from assistance dogs, are not usually allowed in polling stations. However, other dogs can be admitted at the discretion of the local authority.

    Blue Cross suggests checking with the venue in advance if you want to take your dog inside.

    A dog in front of a polling station sign and daffodilsPoppy Marello / Twitter

    Can I take a photo of my dog inside the polling station?

    Electoral Commission guidance doesn't advise taking any photos inside polling stations.

    That's because it's against the law to communicate information about how someone has voted, is about to vote, or to communicate the unique ID ballot paper number.

    How about other pets?

    No guidance has been issued by the Electoral Commission on any other animals...

    Does my dog get a vote?

    Sadly not. You're barking up the wrong tree there.

  8. WATCH: The local elections explained - in Lego

    Need a recap of what local elections are and how they work?

    You're in luck - our reporter David Macmillan explains how it all works in under a minute below:

    Local Elections 2023 explained... in Lego

  9. Is there an election in my area?

    A man walks near a venue which is acting as a polling station for local elections in Ayot St Lawrence,Reuters

    A good question.

    There are 230 councils fielding 8,000 candidates, so there’s a decent chance there’s a vote in your area today.

    You can check by using our nifty postcode look-up.

    Or, if you'd prefer, the Electoral Commission has an alphabetical list.

  10. The seats up for grabs in England's elections

    Let's have a look at the council seats which are up for grabs across England.

    Below is a helpful graph which shows the state-of-play going into today's elections.

    BBC graphic shows seats being defended in the English local elections based on the winners last time those seats were contested. The Conservatives have 3,363 seats up, Labour have 2,140, Lib Dems have 1,221, Independents and others have 954, the Green Party have 240, Residents Associations have 112, Ukip have 25, Reform UK have 4, the Liberal Party have 2 and the Yorkshire Party have 2.

  11. Dogs in polling stations 2023

    Rob Corp
    Live reporter

    File image of a dog at a polling station

    Managing to combine exercising your pet and your democratic right has passed from something a few people did on polling day to one of the biggest internet tropes of recent years.

    #DogsAtPollingStations trends on Twitter and Instagram each time the UK goes to the polls, and we at BBC News are not immune to the charms of a ballot box Beagle or a democratically minded Dachshund - as you can see here from 2022 and also in 2021.

    No doubt we’ll be keeping a keen eye out for pooches at polling stations once more, and we’ll bring you some of the highlights here on this page throughout polling day.

  12. Can I still register to vote?

    No. The deadlines to register to vote in person, by proxy or by post in England or Northern Ireland have passed.

    If you missed the deadline to nominate a proxy but then find you can't vote in person, you can apply for an emergency proxy vote before 17:00 on polling day.

  13. The rules for broadcasters

    Ric Bailey
    BBC chief adviser, politics

    BBC newsroom

    During the day while the polls are open, the BBC, along with the other Ofcom-regulated UK broadcasters, is restricted in what it can report.

    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.

    On polling day, the BBC does not report on any of the election campaigns from 00:30 BST 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.

  14. Don't forget your ID

    Stock image of a hand holding a passport and a voting card near a sign which says "have you got your ID?"PA Media

    The rules have changed a little bit this year, and you now have to show photo ID if you’re going to a polling station to vote.

    The most common accepted documents are your passport or driving licence - but there are plenty of other options too, including a voter authority certificate if you applied in time.

    Voter fraud is pretty uncommon in this country, but the government says the new measures will help stop votes being stolen.

    Changes will apply to the next general election too, so now’s a good time to start thinking about whether you've got the right ID.

    We’ve done a handy guide explaining all the ins and out of the changes - you can read it here.

  15. Polls open
    Breaking

    The clock has ticked past 07:00 BST - meaning that polls are now open for the local elections in England.

  16. Northern Ireland vote delayed to 18 May

    Luke Sproule
    BBC News NI

    A dog at a polling station near BelfastReuters

    A dog at a polling station near Belfast

    Elections to the 11 councils in Northern Ireland were originally scheduled to take place on 4 May as well, but were postponed due to the Coronation of King Charles III - which is happening this weekend.

    The elections in Northern Ireland use the single transferable vote system: a form of proportional representation which allows votes to be transferred between candidates across several rounds of voting. This means ballots take much longer to count than they do in England.

    Counting does not start until about 09:00 the day after polling day, and in previous elections has often continued well into a second day.

    This could have meant counting clashed with the Coronation. So a decision was taken to push the election back by two weeks.

  17. Why local elections matter

    Local elections are important because the councillors going into office are responsible for all sorts of services that affect our daily lives - from schools and providing care to the elderly, to fixing potholes and collecting rubbish.

    Votes like these can also can indicate how people are feeling about the government. A vote at a local level can show support for the party in power or potentially indicate otherwise.

    Our team of elections experts will be poring over the data gained from this election to see what the results mean for the state of the parties.

    We’ll bring you more on that tomorrow.

  18. Which councils are up for election?

    More than 8,000 seats across 230 councils across England (but not London) are up for grabs today. That’s about two-thirds of the country’s local authorities.

    If you want to check whether there’s one in your area, you can search for it in this page on the BBC News website.

    Mayoral elections are also taking place in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.

    There will also be elections in a couple of weeks in Northern Ireland, when councillors will be elected across 11 local authorities on 18 May.

    There are no elections in Scotland or Wales this year.

    BBC map shows in which areas of England and Northern Ireland local elections are taking this month - whether in metropolitan, district, or unitary authorities.

  19. Voters to head to the polls in England's local elections

    James FitzGerald
    Live reporter

    File photo of a horse at a polling stationGetty Images

    Prepare for the traditional snaps of animals taken by voters to polling stations

    Welcome to our live coverage as voters in many parts of England go to the polls to elect their local councillors.

    Today’s elections are taking place in 230 areas from Devon to Newcastle, and polls are open from 07:00 BST to 22:00.

    The BBC, along with all UK broadcasters, is restricted in what it can report while polls are open (we’ll bring you more on that shortly). But we can provide practical information on the rules around polling day and what you can and cannot do at the polling station.

    These are also the first elections to be held in England in which voters will be required to provide photo ID before casting their ballots - you can read more about that here.

    Expect also to see pictures of dogs - or in fact any other pets people bring with them to vote - as well as some of the more interesting and unusual venues where ballots are being cast.

    Later on, once polls are closed, we’ll bring you the results live with analysis and reaction during the night and throughout Friday.