Voters across England, Scotland, and Wales have just hours left to register for the upcoming elections on 7 May, with the deadline for applications set for 11.59pm tonight.
Those not yet registered must act swiftly to ensure they are eligible to vote.
The polls will elect members to the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd in Wales. In England, a substantial 5,013 council seats are contested across 136 local authorities, alongside elections for six local mayors.
This marks England’s largest local election cycle in three years, complementing the 2021 parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales.
Applications can be submitted online at gov.uk/registertovote. Government figures reveal a significant surge, with Sunday, 19 April seeing 42,827 applications – the highest single-day total this year.
The average daily applications in the week to 19 April also rose sharply to 33,218, up from 23,255 the previous week.
The contests on May 7 represent a crucial test at the ballot box for all political parties.
Elections for devolved parliaments, councils and mayors can reflect voters’ attitudes about their local area, such as when bins are collected, the state of parks and pavements, or the quality of schools and hospitals.
But they can also be a verdict on how parties and leaders are handling national issues – which this year could mean the cost of living, the economy and immigration, or even foreign affairs such as the wars in Iran and Ukraine.
Along with Monday’s deadline to register to vote, there are a number of other key dates before polling day.
The deadline to apply for a postal vote for the elections is 5pm on Tuesday, 21 April.
Applications can be made online at gov.uk/apply-postal-vote.
All voters in England intending to cast a ballot in the elections on 7 May will not only need to be registered but also show a form of photo identification at the polling station.
Not all types of photo ID will be accepted, but a passport, driving licence or blue badge are valid.
Anyone without the correct identification will need to apply for a voter authority certificate by 5pm on Tuesday April 28, which can be done online at gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate.
Photo ID is not needed to vote in the elections for the Scottish Parliament or Senedd.
28 April is also the deadline to apply for a proxy vote, to allow someone to vote at a polling station on your behalf.
Applications can be made online at gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote.
On election day, Thursday, 7 May, polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm.
Around a third of councils in England are due to declare results overnight.
Results for the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd and most councils in England will be declared on Friday, 8 May.
Final results from four councils will be declared on Saturday, 9 May.
