Election 2021: How do I register to vote?

About 48 million people across England, Wales and Scotland will be able to vote in a series of elections on Thursday, 6 May.

You can vote if:

In Wales, it's a bit more complicated. People who are 16 and over can vote in the Welsh Assembly election, but you must be 18 or over to vote for Police and Crime Commissioners.

As well as British citizens, people from EU or Commonwealth countries can vote in local elections in England. In Scotland and Wales, any foreign citizen living legally in the country can vote.

In England and Wales, people in prison - except those on remand - and anyone convicted of election-related crimes in the last five years, aren't allowed to vote. In Scotland, some prisoners on short sentences are allowed to vote.

If you're not already registered, you have until 23:59 on 19 April to sign up. You just need to visit the government website and fill in the online form. You can apply by post if you prefer.

If you're not sure whether you're registered, you can get in touch with your local council's election team.

It depends where you live. You could be choosing who runs your local services, a mayor or someone to represent you in a national parliament.

Polling stations will be open from 07:00 to 22:00 on Thursday, 6 May.

Beforehand, you should receive a polling card in the post telling you where your local polling station is. You don't have to take it with you.

Polling stations can be anything from schools to leisure centres to churches.

When you enter you will be given a ballot paper. This will have a list of the candidates you are able to vote in. For example, if you are voting for a mayor, you will be able to choose from a list of names.

Make sure you read the instructions on the ballot paper - in some elections you can choose more than one candidate, or rank them in order of preference.

You then take it to a booth and mark your vote in private. You will be asked to fold the ballot paper and put it in the ballot box.

You are not allowed to discuss your vote in the polling station.

If you're still in a queue to vote when polls close at 22:00 you are guaranteed entry.

Expect plastic screens, social distancing and hand sanitiser when you arrive.

Voters are also being asked to bring their own pen or pencil if they can.

Almost five million people decided to vote by post in the last local elections in 2019, and the number is likely to increase due to Covid.

Anyone can vote by post. You need to print and post an application form to your local council. Some councils will allow you to send online applications but you should check with your local authority.

If you live in England or Wales the deadline for postal vote applications is 17:00 on 20 April. In Scotland, the deadline has passed.

Nominating someone to vote on your behalf is known as a proxy vote. However, you need to have a reason why you cannot vote in person, for example a disability.

The deadline for applying for a proxy is 17:00 on 27 April.

If you have Covid symptoms, or have been asked to self-isolate, do not go to the polling station. You can get an emergency proxy vote until 17:00 on polling day.

After polls close, ballot boxes are taken to counting centres. Counting staff will sort through millions of votes.

The first councils will be counted overnight into early Friday morning.

But making the process Covid-secure means the results will probably take much longer than usual - possibly as late as Monday in some areas.