Elections are taking place across the UK today. There are votes in around 200 local councils in England, as well authorities in Wales and Scotland and the assembly in Northern Ireland.
It's set to be the first test of voter sentiment since various scandals - notably Partygate - have rocked top-level politics. And, while people today are voting on who will run their local services, thoughts of what happens in Westminster are never far from voters' minds.
Every election is important and needs to be beyond reproach when it comes to potential for fraud. You might wonder, then, why we traditionally mark our 'X' in the box using a pencil.
