Voters across England and Wales will go to the polls today to take part in local, mayoral, and police and crime commissioner elections. There are more than 2,600 council seats up for grabs across 107 local authorities including all ten Greater Manchester boroughs.
In the region, three councils, which are currently on a knife-edge, will be counting the votes as soon as polls close. Oldham could lose its Labour majority while the party is looking to become the biggest majority in Bolton. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats will be looking to become the largest group in Stockport council's chamber.
Other results due in the early hours of Friday morning are from Rochdale where MP George Galloway's Workers Party of Britain party has been heavily targeting Labour seats.
READ MORE: All the candidates standing in Greater Manchester local elections 2024
Other battlegrounds across the country include Dudley where every seat is up for grabs with Labour hoping to become the majority party. Conservatives may also lose control of Solihul and Walsall with a third of seats there being contested.
Every seat in Cannock Chase in Staffordshire is up for election, where the Tories and Labour are currently tied and where both hope to emerge the largest party.
There are also 11 mayoral contests taking place across the country, including Greater Manchester and Salford, and 37 police and crime commissioner elections.
The polls are the final test of public opinion at the ballot box ahead of the next general election, which is expected to take place in the second half of 2024. Polls close at 10pm with results expected throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Follow the latest updates from election day in our live blog below.
Key Events
Boris Johnson 'turned away for forgetting ID,' Sky News reports
Sky News is reporting that former PM Boris Johnson was turned away from a polling station for forgetting to bring acceptable photo ID.
Polling station staff were reportedly forced to turn him away after he initially failed to comply with legislation he introduced while he was in Downing Street.
Mr Johnson, who introduced the Elections Act requiring photo ID in 2022, was attempting to cast his ballot in South Oxfordshire, where a police and crime commissioner for the Thames Valley is being selected, Sky reports.
The view from Greater Manchester
In recent days, the MEN has spoken to voters across Greater Manchester about their views ahead of the local elections. You can read what they said here:
Bolton:The ‘overdeveloped’ and ‘traffic congested’ town which has become a key battleground
Manchester:Gaza, Greens and 'too many councillors'... Manchester Labour has some local election headaches
Rochdale:'The town has a bad name now... I want someone that cares'
Stockport:The town with a 'palpable buzz', but 'too many derelict shops'
Tameside:''You only see them come election time": Voters in Tameside have their say on local politics
Trafford:Green hope, cycle lane anger and Burnham 'in your face'... the view from the streets of Trafford
Wigan:The 'weird' town where people are fed up - and want something different
Just over three hours until polls close
There's just over three hours to go until polling stations close.
People are encouraged not to leave their vote until the last minute in case they hit any delays, as polling stations have to close at 10pm. However, as long as you're inside the polling station, or in a queue to get in, at 10pm, you will still be able to cast your vote.
According to the Electoral Commission:
Voters who at 10pm are in their polling station, or in a queue outside their polling station, for the purpose of voting, may apply for a ballot paper.
If a person is in the polling station or in a queue outside the polling station by 10pm for the purposes of returning postal votes, they may do so after 10pm.
It wouldn't be an election day without it
For once, Greater Manchester has been blessed with some beautiful weather this election day - and that means many of you are taking your furry friends along to vote.
Snapping your dog outside a polling station has become an election tradition in the UK, with the hashtag #dogsatpollingstations trending on X, formerly Twitter, each time a vote comes around. This year is no different with thousands of people sharing their photos on social media.
Representing Greater Manchester, here's handsome boy Cooper standing proud outside Christ Church Walmersley in Bury.
Voters in Blackpool are choosing a new MP
In Lancashire, some voters are choosing a new MP as well as their local councillors.
A by-election is taking place in the constituency of Blackpool South following the resignation of former Tory MP Scott Benton, who was caught in a lobbying sting and found to have breached Commons rules earlier this year.
Blackpool South had previously been held by the Conservatives for decades after its creation in 1945 - right up until 1997 when Labour won it. Mr Benton defeated the incumbent Labour MP Gordon Marsden in the general election held in December 2019. But now, Labour candidate Chris Webb has been tipped to gain the marginal seat back from the Tories.
The result of the Blackpool South by-election is likely to be among the first to be declared overnight after the polls close tonight.
Whoever does win the seat will not be comfortable for long, as they face another vote in the coming months when the whole country goes to the polls in a general election.
Veterans card to be added to accepted ID list after some turned away from polling stations
Downing Street has said the government intends to make veterans’ ID cards a valid form of voter identification. It comes after former service personnel were turned away from polling stations today.
Veterans minister Johnny Mercer apologised to those who had been unable to use their veterans’ ID card to vote in the local elections, vowing to “do all I can” to have it added to the list of valid identification.
Mr Mercer’s apology came after Army veteran Adam Diver complained he had been turned away from his local polling station after presenting his Veteran Card. Mr Diver, 48, had been looking to place his vote in Fleetwood, Lancashire, but was turned away after presenting his card, saying the experience left him feeling “gutted”.
He told PA:
“I felt clearly deflated, I felt gutted to be fair and upset – I felt angry at the point. I felt like my time served was invalidated and I just thought to myself, ‘what was the point in that?’ I’ve served in pretty much every war going, I’ve spent 27 years away from my family. I thought you could use it as an ID card. It’s like a driving licence, you can’t get any more official and it didn’t strike me one bit that it wouldn’t be validated.”
A Number 10 spokeswoman said: “It is our intention for the new Veteran Card, which was rolled out in January, to be added to the official list.”
Mr Mercer said the legislation on acceptable forms of ID came out before the veterans ID cards started coming out earlier this year, adding: "I will do all I can to change it before the next one."
Which results will we get first?
The polls will be closing in just a few hours, but some of the results won't be known for long while yet.
The results of the local, mayoral and police and crime commissioner elections will be declared over several days, starting in the early hours of tomorrow morning and ending on Sunday, May 5.
Only a small number of local councils will begin counting votes straight away, with the majority waiting until Friday.
In Greater Manchester, three councils currently on a knife-edge will count the ballot papers overnight - Bolton is expected to be first to declare its winners at around 2am, with Oldham and Stockport to follow at around 3.30am.
Elsewhere, Hartlepool, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock - all expected to be close contests - will announce results early on, while three police & crime commissioner results are also due, for Avon & Somerset, Cumbria and Lincolnshire.
The result of the Blackpool South by-election is also likely to be declared halfway through the night, with Labour tipped to gain the marginal seat from the Conservatives.
On Friday morning, counting will then begin for almost all the remaining councils in England, along with most PCCs and four of the mayoral elections: East Midlands, North East, Tees Valley and York & North Yorkshire.
The key battlegrounds in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is in store for a big night at the local elections. All 10 councils are holding elections today with Andy Burnham's job as Greater Manchester mayor also up for grabs, while voters in Salford will also be electing their own city mayor.
Three councils which are currently on a knife-edge will be counting the votes as soon as polls close at 10pm with the results expected to be declared in the early hours of Friday morning (May 3).
All eyes will be on Oldham council where Labour could lose their majority. Labour is looking to win enough seats in Bolton for a majority, while the Lib Dems hope to do the same in Stockport.
Four counts will be taking place on Friday (May 3) - including Rochdale where MP George Galloway's party has been heavily targeting.
On Saturday (May 4), the Greater Mancheser mayor will be declared. Polling suggests Mr Burnham is set to secure a third term as mayor by a comfortable margin again - but the battle for second place could throw up some surprising results with the Conservatives predicted to finish fourth, behind Reform UK.
You can read more here.
How to find your polling station
When you register to vote you are allocated a polling station based on your address. It will usually only be a short distance from your home.
If you are registered you should have received a polling card in the post, which has details of the location of your nearest polling station. However, if you've misplaced your card you can also look it up online.
According to the Electoral Commission, voters must go to their allocated polling station to cast their vote. If you try and vote at a different one - for example, one close to where you work - you will be turned away.
You can read more about how to find your polling station and which ward you are in here.
What time every local council election 2024 result is due
Polls close at 10pm tonight for the local elections, mayoral elections and police and crime commissioner contests, as well as the Blackpool by-election.
A number of areas are expected to begin counting the votes straight away. Dozens of results will be due back in the early hours of Friday morning, with the rest coming later in the day and across the weekend.
We've pulled together a list of all the estimated timings for the council, mayoral and police and crime commissioner elections across England Wales. You can find it here.
Polling stations set up across Greater Manchester as voting takes place
In Greater Manchester, churches, scout huts, schools and various other community buildings have been set up as polling stations allowing people across the region to cast their votes today.
Polling stations will be open until 10pm after which a few councils will starting counting up the ballots straight away. Others will wait until later on Friday to start the count.
Results are due from the early hours of Friday, with Bolton set to be the first to declare in our region, right up until Sunday afternoon, when Salford will announce its winners.
Tory MP applies for emergency proxy after misplacing his ID
A Conservative MP has said his dyspraxia caused him to misplace his photo ID, forcing him to arrange an emergency proxy vote for today’s local elections.
Tom Hunt, who represents Ipswich, warned people “persecuting” him online to be “very careful with their words”, saying it is “well known that sadly we are slightly more prone to lose things”.
Voters are now required to present certain forms of ID to take part in the local, mayoral, and police and crime commissioner polls. Acceptable forms of ID include a passport, driving licence, Proof of Age Standards Scheme (Pass) cards, Blue Badges, and some concessionary travel cards.
Mr Hunt told the PA news agency:
“I don’t want to blame everything on my dyspraxia, but it’s a factor in my life I have to deal with. It’s all well and good people saying we need to have more neurodiverse Members of Parliament, but having a massive pile-on on them, I don’t think it’s going to encourage more people.”
More politicians cast their votes
More politicians have been spotted at polling stations across the country as elections take place today. West Midlands mayor candidate Richard Parker cast his vote in Birmingham, while Lib Dem leader Ed Davey was spotted with his wife at his local polling station in London.
When is the next general election in 2024 taking place?
Brits will likely be heading to the polls again within the next few months. A general election is set to take place this year, but an exact date is yet to be decided.
Current prime minister Rishi Sunak has said he expects a general election to take place "in the second half of the year", with most believing that autumn - around October or November - would be the preferred time for a poll. But, that has not stopped speculation that it could be called by the summer, or even as late as next year.
Mr Sunak faces a significant test today, with the results of the local elections likely to influence his decision on when to call a general election. With Labour still racing ahead in opinion polls, the prime minister could be biding his time for as long as possible to try and win over voters.
However, he doesn't have long to decide. Mr Sunak is allowed to call a general election at any point within his five-year term, but if an election has not been called by the fifth anniversary of the current Parliament starting, it will automatically be triggered.
The timetable for a general election is 25 days, starting with the dissolution of Parliament on day 0 and ending with polling day on day 25. However, bank holidays and weekends are not counted. That means the absolute latest date the upcoming general election could possibly be held is January 28.
The MEN has taken a look at when the general election could take place and the key factors that could decide it. You can read more here.
The full list of local election and mayoral votes taking across England and Wales today
Elections for local councillors, regional mayors, police and crime commissioners and one MP are all taking place today.
In England alone, more than 2,500 local council seats will be up for grabs across 107 authorities. Eleven mayors will be elected alongside dozens of police and crime commissioners. In Lancashire, voters will decide who will be the new MP for Blackpool South after former Tory Chris Benton resigned.
You can see the full list of all the places holding elections in England and Wales on May 2 here.
What to do if you are unable to vote today
In some circumstances, you may be able to apply for an emergency proxy vote. A proxy vote is when somebody else is allowed to vote on your behalf.
For example, if you have lost your photo ID or if you suffer a medical emergency and are unable to get to a polling station, you may be eligible for an emergency proxy vote. However, this must be something that you weren't aware of before the normal proxy vote deadline - and you only have until 5pm on polling day to apply.
The Electoral Commission states: "If you have a medical emergency, are away for work, or your photo ID is lost, stolen, destroyed, or damaged, you can apply for an emergency proxy vote up to 5pm on polling day."
If you need to apply for an emergency proxy, you should contact the electoral services team at your local council, the Electoral Commission states.
Polling station set up in car boot after staff locked out of library
Voters in Cambridge had to use the back of a car as a polling station this morning after staff had problems getting into the library building they had planned to use.
Polling teams “remained calm and carried on” when they found themselves shut out of Milton Road Library, Cambridge Electoral Services wrote on X, formerly Twitter. They posted a photograph of a grey car with its boot open, with a polling station sign hung from its door handles and candidate information stuck to the windows.
Cambridge Electoral Services wrote:
"Voters at Milton Road Library get to experience the rare sight of voting from the back of a car as we’ve had problems getting into the building. Hopefully we’ll be in soon but for now our polling staff are doing a great job ensuring early voters can still cast their vote!"
Around an hour later the account, which helps run elections for Cambridge City Council, wrote that staff had got into the library building.
A Cambridge City Council spokesperson said there had been a “problem with door codes and contacting keyholders, so our staff showed great initiative and used one of their own cars as a temporary polling station for the first voters arriving after 7am”. They said the polling station at the library was “open and fully operational” as of 8am.
Why do we vote with a pencil instead of a pen?
Ever wondered why you're given a pencil at the polling station instead of a pen?
The debate over using pencils arose during the 2017 general election campaign when there was a flurry of social media posts suggesting that pencil marks could be erased, sparking fears of potential vote tampering.
The Electoral Commission addressed the matter after receiving an inquiry from a concerned voter. Kenneth Priestly contacted the commission asking: "It has come to my attention that pencils have been used in polling stations, the mark is erasable. Given this could give arise to fraud why don't you use and supply black pens?"
The response clarified that while legislation doesn't specify whether a pen or pencil should be used to complete the ballot paper, "in the UK, pencils are traditionally used for the purposes of marking ballot papers and are made available inside polling stations for voters to use".
You can read more about why pencils are used in UK elections here.
Voters must show photo ID at polling station following rule change last year
Anyone wanting to vote in the local elections needs to show photo ID at the polling station in order to get their ballot paper. The new rules came into force last year.
The Electoral Commision has outlined which forms of ID will be accepted and you can find the full list here.
Sir Keir Starmer and Sadiq Khan cast their votes
Labour party leader Sir Keir Starmer has been spotted casting his vote at his local polling station, as has London mayor Sadiq Khan who is running for re-election in the capital's mayoral contest.
Chancellor says Tories are 'expecting significant losses'
Speaking ahead of the polls opening this monring, chancellor Jeremy Hunt insisted that governments can get “punished” in local votes.
He told Sky News’ Politics Hub:
"Tony Blair easily lost those amounts of councillors. And, you know, David Cameron lost hundreds of councillors in the run up to the 2015 general election.
"So, you know, we are expecting to see significant losses. That often happens in local elections.
"But what we say to people is, look, this may be a moment when you want to express a view about the national picture but actually the local services you depend on will be decided by how you vote."
Voters head to the polls on election day
Voters are heading to the polls today for a series of local elections seen as the final test of public opinion before prime minister Rishi Sunak calls a general election later this year.
The latest forecasts suggest that the Conservatives could lose up to half of the council seats they are defending, with chancellor Jeremy Hunt saying the party expects to suffer “significant losses”.
A total of 11 mayoral contests are also taking place. Both Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and London mayor Sadiq Khan are hoping to a secure a third term for Labour, while Conservative mayors Andy Street in the West Midlands, and Tees Valley’s Ben Houchen are also facing key re-election battles.
