What elections does Liverpool City Region have in 2024?

There's nothing the media likes more than dogs outside polling stations...

While the election of Liverpool City Region's next mayor is inevitably attracting the most headlines, several other polls will take place on 2 May.

The majority of residents from across the region will also be able to vote for Merseyside's police and crime commissioner, while those living in Halton will select Cheshire's equivalent.

Lastly, council elections will be held in Halton, Knowsley, and Sefton.

Liverpool, St Helens and Wirral do not have any council elections this year.

The deadline for registering to vote was 16 April.

In Halton, Knowsley and Sefton, one third of seats are up for grabs.

In Sefton, the count will take place overnight into Friday 3 May, while the other two local authorities will have theirs later that day.

What is the role of the police and crime commissioners?

Police and Crime Commissioners are elected representatives who are responsible for holding their police force to account.

Responsibilities include:

• Appointing chief constables and dismissing them when necessary

• Holding the chief constable to account for the performance of their officers and staff

• Setting out a force's strategy and policing priorities through the Police and Crime Plan

• Setting the force's budget and the local council tax precept

Who is standing this year?

In Merseyside, the candidates (listed in alphabetical order by surname) are:

• Christopher Carubia (Liberal Democrats)

• Amanda Onwuemene (Green Party)

• Emily Spurrell (Labour and Co-operative Party)

• Bob Teesdale (Conservative)

Meanwhile in Cheshire we have:

• Paul Duffy (Liberal Democrats)

• John Dwyer (Conservative)

• Dan Price (Labour)

When will we know who has won?

The counts are due to take place on Saturday 4 May and we expect the result to be declared during the afternoon.

What about the Metro Mayoral elections?

This is key role because the metro mayor oversees decisions over transport, skills and planning among other powers.

The metro mayor is a cheerleader for the region, and is supposed to have a direct line to central government.

People living in Liverpool, Wirral, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, and Halton can vote in this election.

The election results will also be declared on Saturday 4 May.

The way the voting system works has changed since this election was last contested in 2021.

Three years ago, voters made a first and second preference candidate choice on their ballot paper.

This time, they will only vote once, with the winner being the candidate with the most votes.