Photo ID required for first time to vote in elections
Local elections are taking place across England today, and they will be unlike any other: For the very first time, people wishing to cast their ballots will be required to show a form of photographic ID.
The new requirements draw on the recommendations of a 2016 report by Sir Eric Pickles, the former communities secretary, which warned there was a risk of "significant abuse" of the electoral system if people could vote under false pretences with little risk of detection.
The Telegraph details everything you need to know about the new rules right here.
When will local election votes be counted?
The polls are open from 7am until 10pm today.
Approximately a quarter of the votes will be counted overnight with the rest counted during the day tomorrow.
Councils will start to declare results in the early hours of Friday morning and it is likely that by about 6am tomorrow we will have a good indication of how the parties have done.
Voters head to the polls in Sunak's first electoral test
Rishi Sunak is facing his first major electoral test since becoming Prime Minister as millions of people go to the polls today in crunch local elections across England.
More than 8,000 council seats are on the line across 230 local authorities and there are also contests to choose mayors in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.
Today’s elections are likely to be the final set of polls before the next general election and the results will be viewed as an indication of whether Mr Sunak could stay in No10 for the longer term or if Sir Keir Starmer could be on course for Downing Street.
All eyes will be on the vote share recorded by the main parties today and what the numbers could mean if they were to be replicated at a national battle.