After residents headed to polling stations on Thursday, we have put together a guide to everything you need to know ahead for the council elections.

A third of the council’s 51 total seats will be contested at the elections, in each one of the borough’s 17 wards.

The council’s current makeup consists of 31 Labour councillors, 11 Conservatives, seven from Radcliffe First and one Independent. There is also a vacancy in Radcliffe East.

Defending seats this year include 11 Labour councillors, three Conservatives and two Radcliffe First representatives.

When and where can I vote?

Polling stations opened from 7am to 10pm on Thursday ahead of a vote count, which will take place today, Friday, May 3 at Castle Leisure Centre in Bury, when the results are set to be published in the afternoon.

Residents can find their polling station on their polling card, or on the Where Do I Vote website.

The deadline to register to vote has now passed. Only those who joined the electoral register on or before Tuesday, April 16 are eligible to vote tomorrow.

What do I need to bring to the polling station?

Changes introduced by the government mean voters are now required to bring photo ID with them to the polling station.

There are a number of forms of photo ID that can be accepted, including; a passport, driving licence (including provisional licence), a blue badge, some concessionary travel cards, an identity card with a PASS mark, a biometric immigration document, defence identity card and certain national identity cards.

You can still use photo ID even if it is out of date, as long as it still looks like you. Residents can find out more information about photo ID on the Electoral Commission's website. 

Who can I vote for?

Here is the full list of candidates standing in the Bury elections:

Besses

Greg Keeley - Conservative and Unionist Party

Stephen Morris - English Democrats - "Putting England First!"

Miriam Rahimov - Labour

Martyn John West - Bury Independents

Bury East

Kevin Cadwallader - Reform UK

David Henry Foss - Liberal Democrats

Syed Muarif Hashmi - Workers Party of Britain

Gavin Phillip McGill - Labour and Co-operative Party

Jihyun Park - Conservative and Unionist Party

Fawad Sabir - Bury Independents

Bury West

Alan Bayfield – Independent

Helen Jane Varnom - The Labour Party

Dene John Vernon - Conservative and Unionist Party

Elton

Michael Hankey - Bury Independents

Martin John Hayes - Labour Party

Andrew Paul Luxton - Conservative and Unionist Party

Holyrood

Geoffrey Baron - Conservative and Unionist Party

Peter Curati - The Green Party

Valerie Morris - English Democrats - "Putting England First!"

Imran Raza Rizvi - The Labour Party

Steven David Wright - Liberal Democrats

Moorside

Ciaron Michael Boles - Labour Party

Ian Cameron Strachan - Conservative and Unionist Party

Aamer Yasin - Bury Independents

North Manor

Charlie Allen - Green Party

Liam James Dean - Conservative and Unionist Party

Raymond Martin Solomon - Independent

John Damian Southworth - Labour Party

Pilkington Park

Jeff Armstrong - Reform UK

Mike Court - Bury Independents

Elizabeth Jayne Fitzgerald - Labour Party

Anthony Rose - The Conservative and Unionist Party

Shadman Zaman – Independent Radcliffe East

Rhyse  Lewis Cathcart - The Labour Party

Mark John Gregory - Conservative and Unionist Party

Ken Simpson - Radcliffe First

Radcliffe North and Ainsworth

Andrea Booth - Radcliffe First

Paul Cropper - Conservative and Unionist Party

Sally-Ann McGill - Labour Party

Radcliffe West

Des Duncalfe - Radcliffe First

Josh Harcup - Labour Party

Emma Elizabeth Lee - Conservative and Unionist Party

Ramsbottom

Martyn Bristow - Liberal Democrats

Adam Thomas Lewis - Conservative and Unionist Party

Tom Pilkington - The Labour Party

Redvales

Mazhar Aslam - Conservative and Unionist Party

Mirza Hamie - Bury Independents

Paul Johnstone - The Green Party

Shabaz Imtiaz Shamim - Workers Party of Britain

Tamoor Tariq - Labour Party

Sedgley

Ewan James Arthur - Liberal Democrats

Jonathan Grosskopf - Conservative and Unionist Party

Alan Quinn - Labour Party

St Marys

Debra Green - Labour Party

Nick Hubble - Green Party

Artjoms Markovins - Conservative and Unionist Party

Tottington

Adnan Chaudhry - Labour Party

Luis James McBriar - Conservative and Unionist Party

Angie Sutcliffe - Bury Independents

Unsworth Iftikhar Ahmed - Workers Party of Britain

Paul Davies - Conservative and Unionist Party

Unsworth

Paul Davies - Conservatives

Jodie Hook - Labour

Steve Middleton - Bury Independents

Jodie Kathleen Hook - Labour Party

Steve Middleton - Bury Independents