When is the deadline to register to vote in the local elections and do you have to do it every time?

Voters will cast their votes in local elections across the UK next month, with the public having their say on which local candidates they want to represent them. Every voter needs to be registered and the deadline to do so is fast approaching.

Votes take place on Thursday, May 4, this year and are happening in every nation of the UK. Anyone wanting to cast their ballot in the local elections will need to be registered on the gov.uk website. There is also a new requirement for registered electors to show photo ID when voting at polling stations.

The deadline to register to vote in the elections in England, Wales and Scotland is 11:59pm on Monday, April 17. Voters in Northern Ireland have slightly longer to sign up, by 11:59pm on Friday April 28.

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To register to vote, you must be aged 16 or over (or 14 or over in Scotland and Wales). You must also be either a British citizen, an Irish or EU citizen living in the UK, a Commonwealth citizen with permission to stay in the UK, or a citizen of another country living in Scotland or Wales who has permission to enter or stay in the UK.

Only people who are aged 18 or over can vote in the elections, although people aged 16 or over are allowed to vote in certain elections in Scotland and Wales.

There are also deadlines for voters who want to apply for either a postal or proxy vote. People who cannot vote in person on the day may choose to cast their vote either by posting it in advance, or nominating another person to do it for them. Photo ID is not needed to cast postal votes.

The deadline for registering for a postal vote in England, Scotland and Wales is Tuesday, April 18, while the deadline for registering