Local elections 2024: The Black Country votes being held on May 2 and deadlines to register

While a lot of the talk has been about when the general election will be held, after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said there would be one in 2024, no date has been set yet. The closest we've had is the PM saying his “working assumption” remains that a general election will take place in the second half of the year.

But on Thursday, May 2, there will be local elections across the Black Country and parts of Staffordshire. A third of seats will be up for grabs at three Black Country authorities, while every position will be contested at Dudley and Cannock Chase Councils.

On top of that, there's also the West Midlands Mayor contest and Police and Crime Commissioner elections, meaning some people could be casting votes in three separate ballots this spring.

Here's a round-up of the elections being held this spring, and when you need to be registered so you can have your say:

Local council elections

Cannock Chase Council

All 36 council seats are up for grabs.

Dudley Council

All 72 seats at Dudley Council will be contested this year.

Sandwell Council

A total of 24 seats will be up for grabs, one third of the 72 that make up Sandwell Council.

Walsall Council

Out of 60 seats, people will be able to vote for 20 of them in this year's election.

Wolverhampton Council

One third of the authority's 60 seats will be contested.

West Midlands Mayor election

Everybody living in the area covered by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) can vote in the mayoral election. This includes people whose councils are either Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall or Wolverhampton.

Police and Crime Commissioner elections

All Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) positions are being contested on May 3, including the three in our region: West Midlands; Staffordshire; West Mercia. Everybody will be able to vote for the PCC candidates linked to the force that covers the area they live in, regardless of whether there's a council election or not.

The current commissioners for each force are:

• West Midlands - Simon Foster (Labour)

• Staffordshire - Benedict Adams (Conservative)

• West Mercia - John Campion (Conservative)

How to vote - and deadline to register

There are three ways to have your say: in person at the ballot box; by post; via proxy when someone does it on your behalf.

Anyone wishing to vote on May has until 11.59pm on Tuesday, April 16, to make sure they're registered. This can be done at the Electoral Commission website.

Postal vote applications must be in by 5pm on Wednesday, April 17, while proxy requests must be submitted by 5pm on Wednesday, April 24.

Voter ID

Photo ID will be needed at polling stations this year. Documents that are accepted are:

• Passport

• Driving licence

• Blue Badge

• Older Person’s Bus Pass funded by the UK Government

• Disabled Person’s Bus Pass funded by the UK Government

• Oyster 60+ Card funded by the funded by the UK Government

• Freedom Pass

• Proof of age

• Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)

• Other government issued documents

• Biometric immigration document

• Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)

• National identity card issued by an EEA state

• Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland

• Voter Authority Certificate

• Anonymous Elector's Document

Anyone without any of these can apply for free voter ID at the Electoral Commission website. The deadline is 5pm on Wednesday, April 24.