Vote 2021: Election Day for Largest Round of Elections Outside of a General Election in Nearly 50 Years | Political news

Ballot boxes open at 7 a.m. today for the largest round of elections outside a general election in nearly 50 years.

Voters will vote despite the many COVID-19 restrictions still in place, with 48 million people given the opportunity to speak.

In Scotland and Wales, voters will decide their national representatives in Holyrood and Senedd respectively. In Wales, young people aged 16 and over will have the chance to vote for the first time.

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Elsewhere there are a total of 143 different councils holding elections today, while in Hartlepool voters decide who should represent them in Westminster.

There are also 13 mayoral elections, including for mayor of London, and 39 police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales after those votes were postponed to 2020 due to the pandemic .

COVID-19 still has an effect on voting today, with strict limits on the number of people who can be inside a polling station, face masks required, and social distancing for those who walk away. volunteer to help.

People have also been told not to offer anyone outside their bubble to go to the polling station, which political parties typically do to encourage people to vote.

Experts predict that many more people will have requested a postal vote this year due to the restrictions.

The polling stations will close at 10 p.m. and you do not need a voting card to vote, but you must be registered.

Results will emerge in the coming days, with some not expected until late Sunday.