Voters in parts of England are heading to the polls to cast their ballots for councillors and mayors in this year’s local elections.

Elections are being held in 230 of England’s 317 councils, within district, borough, county borough and unitary authority councils, along with four mayoral elections in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.

There are no local elections in Scotland or Wales, but voters in Northern Ireland will be able to have their say on 18 May, with 462 seats across 11 local councils up for grabs.

Polls opened at 7am and will close at 10pm, giving voters a 15-hour window to mark their ballots.

But for the first time, people will be required to take ID with them to be eligible to vote.

A full list of valid identification can be found here, with examples including a driving licence, passport and older person’s bus pass.

However, travel passes for younger people, such as a young person’s railcard, will not be accepted.

Read more:
All you need to know about the local elections
Voters have one pressing issue on their minds – analysis
The key councils to watch

The Local Government Association has urged voters to be patient with polling staff if there are queues, or if the process “takes a little longer than usual” due to the new rules.

Results will begin coming in overnight on Thursday and into Friday, with Sky News bringing you full coverage both on TV and online.