Local government elections usually take place every four years. The community votes for a councillor to represent them for a four-year term – this means someone will be a councillor for four years. A local election might happen sooner if a councillor stands down from their seat and needs to be replaced, for example.

This year, local authorities are allowed to choose which voting system it uses to elect its councillors. This can be either First Past the Post, or the Single Transferable Vote.

When the First Past the Post system is used, a candidate wins if they receive the highest number of votes. It is how MPs are elected in General Elections for the UK Parliament.

Under the Single Transferable Vote system, voters rank a list of candidates in order of their preference – with their favour as number one, their second favourite as number two, and so on. This is a form of proportional representation and means the results will reflect the voices of everyone who voted – not just the voices of people who voted for the winning candidate.