Elections 2022: Polls open in Welsh council elections

Polls have opened in the Welsh local elections with 1,160 seats up for grabs across the country's 22 councils.

About 2.2 million people can take part, including 16 and 17-year-olds for the first time in a council election.

Polling stations will close at 22:00 BST. Councils will begin counting on Friday, with results expected through the afternoon into the evening.

Council elections are also taking place in Scotland, parts of England, and for the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Estimates suggest more than 106,000 people do not have a vote this year because their local wards are uncontested - where the number of people who have applied to be councillors is the same as the number of seats available.

• How the BBC reports polling day

Analysis from the Electoral Reform Society said 74 of Wales' 1,234 seats have already been filled, meaning no election will take place in those areas.

Radyr polling station on Thursday

Gwynedd and Pembrokeshire have the most uncontested seats with 28 and 19 respectively.

There will be coverage of the results across BBC Wales' online, television and radio services throughout Friday.

How do I vote?

Council wards are elected through the first past the post system - the winners are the candidates who win the most votes.

Voters will get a ballot paper to select which candidates they want to back. If there is more than one councillor in a ward voters will get more than one vote.

Early voting has already been taking place in Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly and Torfaen in a pilot scheme.

Postal votes will also be counted on Friday.

What am I voting for?

It depends where you live but in Wales, you are essentially voting for who you'd like to run your council.

Unlike the Welsh or UK parliaments, councillors cannot pass their own laws. But they can make decisions on how local services are run.

They also decide how much money is raised locally in council tax.

So by casting your vote, you can have a say on all the local council services, including schools, road maintenance, bin collections, public housing and social care.

• What can't I do in a polling station?

I've lost my polling card - can I still vote?

Your polling card tells you where your polling station is and when to vote. But not to worry if you misplaced it because it's not needed for you to head to the ballot box.

Neither is your ID or proof of address - just bring yourself and give your name and address to the staff.

How do I find my polling station?

Your polling station will be included on the poll card sent to you in the post.

But if you've lost it then head over to the Electoral Commission website - you'll just need to enter your postcode.

It will likely be a public building like a school or community hall close to your house.

You have until 22:00 to get there.

When will we know the results?

All councils in Wales are expected to count their votes on Friday, rather than overnight.

It means we will not know the make-up of Wales' 22 authorities until that evening at the earliest.

Results will be reported on the BBC website and in TV and Radio bulletins throughout the day.