Local elections will take place on Thursday (May 5) this week - and votes will be cast in all four regions of the UK. More than a third of local authorities will be holding contests for new councillors, while some areas will also be electing regional mayors.
In England, there will be elections held in all 33 London boroughs, 34 metropolitan boroughs, 21 unitary authorities and 64 district councils. In Scotland and Wales, every local authority will be holding elections - that's 32 councils in Scotland and 22 in Wales.
Local councillors usually serve a four-year term. Some councils elect all of their councillors at the same time every four years, while other councils elect just a portion of their councillors each time and hold elections more regularly.
