When are the local elections in South Tyneside?

South Tyneside Council will hold an all-out election on Thursday 7 May.

All 54 seats on the council will be contested, with three councillors representing each ward.

The deadline to register to vote in the local elections is Monday 20 April. This can be done online, external.

The local authority is responsible for services including waste management and planning applications. Councillors represent their wards and help shape the council's direction.

The list of candidates will be published sometime after Thursday 9 April.

Prospective councillors must have their nominations submitted between 20 March and 9 April.

South Tyneside Council is currently led by the Labour Party, and is composed of:

Polling stations are open from 07:00 to 22:00 BST on Thursday 7 May.

As long as you are in the queue by 22:00 you will be able to vote.

If you are registered to vote at a polling station, you will get a poll card about five weeks before the election with details of where to vote, the council says.

The deadline to submit an application for a postal vote or a postal proxy vote is 17:00 on 21 April, and the deadline to submit an application to vote by proxy is 17:00 on 28 April.

South Tyneside will have 82 polling stations open across the borough.

Voters can vote for up to three candidates on the ballot paper.

They do not need to cast all three of their votes, but three councillors will still be elected.

There is a requirement for voters to provide photographic identification at polling stations.

This can include passports, driving licences or some other government issued documents. You can also apply for a "free voter authority certificate" if you do not already have an accepted form of photo ID.

Ballot papers can be marked with a pencil or pen.

You can bring your own with you, and they will be available at the polling station too, the council says.

Mark a cross (X) in the box opposite the name of the candidate you are voting for.

If you would prefer to vote by post, you can apply here, external.

South Tyneside Council said it would count the votes on Friday 8 May and is planning to declare half the wards between 12:00 to 13:00, and the second half between 16:30 to 17:30.

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