A simple guide to the May elections in England, Scotland and Wales

Millions of voters will head to the polls on Thursday 7 May, for the biggest set of elections since the 2024 general election.

Voters in Scotland and Wales will elect representatives to their national parliaments, while a number of local council and mayoral polls will take place in England.

In Northern Ireland, local council and Assembly elections are scheduled for May 2027.

Which elections are taking place in England on 7 May?

Around 5,000 seats across 136 local councils will now be up for grabs, following the government's U-turn on council election delays.

Ministers had granted 30 authorities permission to delay elections until May 2027 - including five areas where polls had already been put back from May 2025.

But in February, the government said those elections would go ahead in May this year, following legal advice in the wake of a challenge from Reform UK.

The delays had been met with a backlash from opposition parties, whilst the Electoral Commission - which oversees UK elections - had warned it risked "damaging public confidence".

Six mayoral contests will also run - in Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Watford.

Elections to select new mayors in Cumbria and Cheshire & Warrington have been postponed until 2027, whilst polls to pick new mayors in Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, Hampshire and the Solent, and Sussex and Brighton, have been pushed back until May 2028.

In council elections, voters generally have one vote for each available seat in an election area - known as a ward or division.

As in general elections, the first past the post system means whoever receives the most votes wins.

Councils are responsible for local services including care for the elderly and disabled, rubbish collection and recycling, housing, education and road maintenance.

Many councils face a funding crisis and have cut services while increasing council tax.

Which elections are taking place in Scotland on 7 May?

The Scottish Parliament election will decide who governs the country in key areas such as health and education and, as a result, the direction it takes on many issues.

All 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are up for re-election.

There are 73 constituency MSPs, and 56 regional MSPs (seven per region) in Holyrood.

Each voter has two ballot papers and casts two votes, one to elect their constituency MSP and one to elect their area's regional MSPs.

Constituency MSPs are selected directly under first past the post, with the winner being the candidate who receives the most votes.

The process to select regional MSPs uses a type of proportional representation.

Voters choose either a political party or an individual candidate from a list. Political parties are allocated regional seats according to a formula which includes the number of votes they receive in each region and the number of constituencies they win outright.

Usually the party with the most MSPs forms the Scottish government, and its leader becomes first minister.

The current Scottish Parliament was set up in 1999, when Scotland already had its own legal and education system.

Holyrood is now responsible for a much broader range of issues including health, housing, policing and prisons, as well as many aspects of transport, welfare and tax.

It can pass laws in any areas not "reserved" to the UK parliament at Westminster.

Which elections are taking place in Wales on 7 May?

The 2026 Senedd election represents the biggest change to the parliament since powers began to be transferred to Wales in 1999. It will determine who governs Wales on many key issues.

Political parties can list up to eight candidates for each constituency. Independent candidates can also stand. Voters choose one party or one independent candidate.

The 96 seats will then be allocated according to the share of votes received by each party or independent candidate.

The party that wins the most seats in the Senedd election would expect to lead the government. However, no party has ever won a majority in the Welsh Parliament and the new system makes it highly unlikely that will change at this election.

Any MS can nominate any member to be first minister. If there are two or more candidates, MSs will vote to decide who they want to fill the role.

The National Assembly for Wales opened in 1999.

Renamed Senedd Cymru or Welsh Parliament in 2020, its responsibilities now include health, schools, transport and farming, as well as some tax powers.

How can I vote in the May elections?

There are three ways to vote:

You must be 18 to vote in the local elections in England, or 16 to vote in the Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections.

In all cases you must be registered at an address in the area where you want to vote.

You must be either a British or Irish citizen, or a qualifying foreign national - the rules vary according to which country you are from and the type of election.

What is the deadline for registering to vote?

To vote in person on 7 May, you must be on the electoral register by 23:59 BST on Monday 20 April.

The rules about postal and proxy votes have changed, and you need to renew them every three years. Any postal or proxy votes set up before 31 October 2023 have expired.

If you are already registered, the deadline to request a postal vote is 17:00 BST on Tuesday 21 April.

If you are already registered, the deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 17:00 BST on Tuesday 28 April.

What ID do I need to vote?

You do not need ID to vote in person in the Scottish Parliament or Senedd elections on 7 May.

Out-of-date ID is okay as long as you are still recognisable.

Anyone who is already registered to vote but doesn't have the correct ID - or who no longer looks like their photo - can apply for a free voter authority certificate. The deadline to apply for the May elections is 17:00 BST on Tuesday 28 April.