If you've ever walked out of your house and got annoyed about the state of your street, if you've driven into a pothole and sworn loudly, or been annoyed that your leisure centre isn't up to scratch, then election day is for you.
If you've seen a loved one not get the care you think they should from social services, or walked past that new-build house and wondered just how it was allowed to happen, the ballot box is waiting for you. If you saw how Covid was handled in your local area and thought it was anything from terrible to great, this is for you. If second homes are the blight of your village, new-builds are the eyesore of your city, or you can see culture disappearing from the streets around you, make your voice heard.
If you have opinions on bins, libraries, taxis, roads, traffic or schools then this is the election for you. Across Wales today 1,234 councillors will be formally elected to represent every one of us. It's not always glamorous or eye-catching but the things they decide are important to the way you live every day. They have power over an awful lot of services and an awful lot of money. In 2021-22 the Welsh Government gave councils £4.65bn. Councils made a lot of the decisions about coronavirus and how it was handled and council staff were on the frontline.
