Local elections 2023: Polls close across England

The polls for much than 8,000 councils seats connected 230 councils, and 4 mayors, crossed England person closed.

Millions of votes volition present beryllium counted successful the archetypal large trial of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's electoral popularity.

The past clip these seats were up for predetermination successful 2019, the Conservative Party had its worst results successful a procreation successful accepted heartlands.

The archetypal results are expected conscionable aft midnight connected Friday morning, with 65 councils counting overnight.

Results volition proceed to beryllium declared passim Friday, including for the 4 mayoral contests successful Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.

The archetypal effect is expected to travel astatine astir 00:30 BST from Hartlepool, which is successful nary wide power and a people for some Labour and the Conservatives. Sunderland is besides expected to denote early, providing a measurement of Labour's popularity successful 1 of its accepted heartlands.

The last effect is forecast to beryllium declared astatine astir 20:00 BST, though this could beryllium aboriginal depending connected factors specified arsenic recounts.

Elections are not taking spot successful London, Scotland oregon Wales.

The elections marked the archetypal clip that voters successful England were required to amusement photograph ID to formed their ballot successful person.

The Electoral Reform Society, which opposed the change, said determination had been "countless examples" of would-be voters being turned distant from polling presumption due to the fact that of the caller rules.

But the Association of Electoral Administrators said the polls were "running arsenic smoothly arsenic usual", and nary large problems had been reported, though it would not beryllium apt to perceive astir idiosyncratic voters being turned away.

The BBC has not been capable to verify the fig of voters turned distant due to the fact that of the caller rules. But figures for this are expected to look successful the coming days.

The Electoral Commission, which was fixed £5.6m to behaviour a nationalist consciousness campaign, has tasked councils with signaling however galore would-be voters were turned away.

Most of the seats up for predetermination were past contested 3 premier ministers agone successful 2019.

It was a tumultuous clip for the 2 starring parties, the last months of Theresa May's premiership and 7 months earlier Jeremy Corbyn would pb Labour to its worst wide predetermination effect successful 84 years.

The Conservatives mislaid a full of 1,330 seats successful mostly traditionally Tory supporting areas. Labour mislaid 84 seats - conscionable implicit 4% of its councillors successful those areas.

The main beneficiaries were the Liberal Democrats, who picked up 700 seats - mostly successful Remain-supporting areas - portion an other 610 autarkic candidates were elected connected to councils.

Even aft losing truthful galore seats successful 2019, things are looking pugnacious for the Conservatives this year. If the section predetermination results reflecting existent sentiment polls, they are apt to look the nonaccomplishment of hundreds much seats.

Under Mr Sunak, the enactment has improved its presumption successful in nationalist predetermination polls. But determination is inactive a batch of crushed to retrieve aft its popularity crashed erstwhile Boris Johnson and past Liz Truss resigned arsenic premier ministers past year.

Conservative Party Chairman Greg Hands has been managing expectations, claiming his enactment could suffer 1,000 assembly seats.

Labour has enjoyed a important pb successful the sentiment polls, but volition privation its show to bespeak that. It has been downplaying expectations by predicting gains of astir 400 seats.

The results are apt to beryllium 1 of the last tests of the large parties' popularity earlier a wide predetermination - expected adjacent year.

The Liberal Democrats are hoping to physique connected their occurrence successful 2019, targeting agrarian and suburban seats held by the Tories.

The Greens, who besides did good successful 2019 erstwhile they gained 194 seats, are aiming to triumph outright power of their archetypal assembly successful Mid Suffolk.

Council elections successful Northern Ireland person been moved backmost to Thursday 18 May due to the fact that of the Coronation of King Charles III connected Saturday.

Most of the councils up for predetermination successful England are territory councils, liable for services including bin collections, parks, nationalist lodging and readying applications.

Other services successful these areas specified arsenic roads, schools, societal and attraction services are managed by region councils which are elected astatine a antithetic time.

The remainder of the councils being elected are a substance of metropolitan and unitary councils - azygous section authorities that woody with each section services.

Passports, driving licences, and older oregon disabled people's autobus passes are among the documents that volition beryllium accepted astatine polling stations.

Those without the close ID were encouraged to use for a caller escaped elector certificate, the deadline for which closed past week.