This week’s elections in England, Scotland and Wales explained - eligibility to vote and if you need ID
What you need to know about voting in this week’s elections, including who can vote and if you need ID.
In Scotland and Wales, voters will elect representatives to their national parliaments. In England, local council elections will take place.
England
In England, local elections are being held for 4,851 council seats across 134 of the country’s 317 councils. In Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Watford, voters will directly elect their council leaders - also known as local authority mayors.
The people elected to be representatives in a local council are called local councillors. The area covered by a local council is divided into smaller areas called wards. Voters generally have one vote for each available seat in a ward. Some wards have more than one representative and the ballot paper will tell you how many votes you have. The political party which wins the most seats gains control of the council.
Scotland
The 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are up for re-election.
Everyone in Scotland is represented by 8 MSPs - one is a constituency MSP and the other 7 are regional MSPs.
Voters will receive two ballot papers. One is for choosing a constituency MSP and the other is for choosing a political party (or independent candidate) for the region.
Wales
With the 2026 Senedd election, the number of Members of the Senedd (MSs) will increase from 60 to 96 representatives from 16 newly devised constituencies.
Each constituency will elect six Members of the Senedd. You will only vote once in Senedd elections -choosing a political party or independent candidate.
The more votes a political party or independent candidate gets, the more seats they will win.
Voting in the May elections
You must be 18 to vote in the local elections in England. You must be 16 to vote in the Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections. You must be either a British or Irish citizen or a qualifying foreign national. You must be registered to vote. The deadline for registering to vote has now passed.
You can vote in person at a polling station, apply to vote by post or apply to have someone else vote for you (voting by proxy).
ID to vote
You do not need ID to vote in person in the Scottish Parliament or Senedd elections.
In person voters in the local elections in England will need valid photo ID, for example a passport or driving licence. You can use an expired ID as long as you are recognisable from the photo.