This week there will be local elections in England in over 230 councils.
This is the first big test for Rishi Sunak since he became prime minister and Conservative leader in October.
It will also show how Sir Keir Starmer's Labor Party can succeed in the next general election and whether he can built on a sharp drop in the Tory rating.
Here's everything you need to know about voting in local elections in May.
When is the next local election?
The 2023 local elections in England will take place this week on Thursday 4 May.
Most results are expected to be announced on Friday, although some will take a little longer.
This year's local elections cover district councils, metropolitan areas and unitary governments. .
The deadline for registering to vote in local elections through the gov.uk website has expired.
Do you have an election on May 5th? Where will the elections be held this year?
Elections are taking place across the country.
Competitions that will be closely watched include a series of councils in traditional conservative centers in the south and Tory seats in the former Trud "Red Wall" in the north.
About 230 councils are contested, of which 83 are Conservative, 49 are Labor controlled and 17 are Liberal Democrats. the party has a majority. Meanwhile, Ashfield is controlled by the Ashfield Independents.
City councils Where are the elections to the city councils held? Unitary councils Where are the elections to the unitary councils held? District councils Where are elections to district councils held? Who can vote?
Anyone who lives in a council election area can vote if they are over 18 and registered to vote.
However, for the first time, voters will be required to bring their ID to the a voting booth.
How do I find my local polling station?
The address of your local polling place is on your voting card, which is mailed to all voters.
You can also enter your zip code on the Board of Elections website to find out what's coming up in your area and where you can vote.
What time will the results be announced?
First results will be announced early Friday, May 5th.
Remaining national results will be announced during the day.
What are the objectives of the Labor Party?
Last year's elections were controversial for the Labor Party. Some ground has been reached in Wales and Scotland, but very little in the north of England, where the party has struggled since Brexit.
However, in London, the party won two-thirds of the seats — the highest in history — and made modest gains in the South East.
It is in southern England that Labor hopes to gain an advantage over the Tories. . A full takeover of the councils is unlikely given the margins Labor faces, but there could be some key fluctuations for the party.
3103 Labour's recent success is mostly in the South.
In Milton Keynes, Labor only needs two councilors to overtake the Conservatives as the largest party. In Bedford, they only need to steal one.
And there is ample opportunity for the party to reclaim its symbolic foothold in the North.
In Blackpool, Cheshire West and Middlesbrough, the party is only a few members behind an absolute majority after a poor performance in 2019 advice. and recent desertions.
In South Ribble, for the first time since the 1990s, the party can claim a majority.
What are the goals of the Conservatives?
The Conservatives have the most to lose in elections.
Nearly 5,000 councilors defending their seats are conservatives, and given the low turnout in recent polls, it's likely they'll lose hundreds of seats.
3103 Tory councils most at risk
In Brentwood, Ashford, South Hams and Cherwell, the exclusion of even one council member will result in the party losing full control.
In King's Lynn and Stratford-upon-Avon, for the first time since the early 2000s, they may fall below the majority.
3103 Conservatives still lead in councilors
Overall, Conservatives have a 60 percent majority or less in 35 of the 230 councils up for election.
The worst-case scenario would be a repeat of the 1995 council elections, when the party dropped from a third of council members to just 20 percent overnight.
It is unlikely that Labor will achieve such a magnitude, but anything close would be a disaster for the Tories.
What are the goals of the Liberal Democrats?
The resurgent Liberal Democrats were behind the poor performance of both Labor and the Tories last year.
The party has won the largest share of seats in the South since 2010 and hopes to secure these gains behind the Blue Wall this year.
The Liberal Democrats have historically performed well in places like Bournemouth, South Norfolk, West Berkshire, Windsor, Uttlesford and Worthing, but are currently lagging behind.
3103 The Liberal Democrats hope to regain lost ground.
The party hopes to repeat the gains they have made in places like St Albans, South Cambridgeshire and Chelmsford, where they have increased councilors by 30% in the last two elections.
And they also hope to put pressure on Labor after they wrested Labor from overall control in Hull last year.
They hope to put pressure on Labor in Sheffield and Cambridge, two cities that have enjoyed strong Liberal support in the past.
What are the possible outcomes?
Although turnout in local elections tends to be relatively low, and those who do participate are often concerned with issues at the council level rather than the national picture, the results will be watched closely for a little more than six months after Rishi Sunak becomes prime minister.
In the 2019 local elections — the last time the majority of the same councilors and constituencies ran in an election — both Conservatives and Labor fought for support.
The two main parties won 28 votes in the election. a cent apiece amid Theresa May's dissatisfaction with Brexit and the unpopularity of Jeremy Corbyn.
Polling projections show that the Conservatives could lose more than 1,000 seats next month after a year of political turmoil, winning three prime ministers and scandals including partygate and the Chris Pincher affair, as well as anger over tax increases.
Sir Keir Starmer will be hoping that Labor can achieve growth that will come close to their current lead in the national poll by about 20 percentage points. Only the small successes of Sir Keir, whose personal popularity lags behind that of his party, may cast doubt on his prospects in the general election. ' places in the heart of a Tory. These include Surrey, Reading and Woking, and Sir Ed Davey's party hopes to use the local elections as a «trial run» to win dozens of these constituencies nationally.
Do I need to carry a photo ID to vote ?
In short, yes. A new photo ID requirement at the polls goes into effect this spring in an attempt to prevent people from impersonating others at the polls.
The government has channeled £5.6m of taxpayer money. into a public information campaign around voter ID, although early signs suggest there has been relatively little attention among those who must register.
Downing Street insists the scheme will serve to prevent voter fraud and impersonation, although critics argue this risks disenfranchising low-income and minority groups of voters.
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