On May 3 thousands of voters will head to polling stations for the third time in three years.

You won’t be voting on Brexit, but you will be voting over bin collections.

Council seats at 150 local authorities across the country will be up for grabs for the first time for most since 2014.

Local councils can be metropolitan, borough, unitary or district – and in south-east London, they are borough councils.

London is expected to be a key battleground for Labour, which currently has a majority in Greenwich. Bexley and Bromley are both held by the Conservatives.

If you’re not sure what exactly you will be voting for, here is a guide:

What you’re voting for

You will be voting for a councillor to represent your ward at the borough council. Borough councils look after bin collections, recycling, planning permissions, parking, and housing.

Borough councils also look after social care, open spaces and littering. It is also responsible for setting a portion of your council tax.

You are voting for local councillors who will represent your views at council meetings, and who will help you if you have issues with the council. They will sit on committees and vote on decisions.

Some powers, like major highways and transport, and planning strategies, are looked after by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.

Lewisham has a Mayoral election as well, and there's no vote in Dartford.

How do I vote?

You have to register to vote by midnight on Tuesday, April 17. Once you have registered, you will get a polling card sent to your address.

You have to register for a postal vote by 5pm on Wednesday, April 18. This can be done online here.

Some councils have had boundary changes which mean your polling station might not be in the usual place.

Your polling card will tell you which station you need to go to cast your vote, and most do not require ID, unless….

What’s happening in Bromley?

…unless you’re voting in Bromley. The council is taking part in a trial scheme ran by the Cabinet Office.

If you’re voting there, you must bring one form of photographic ID such as a passport, driving licence or freedom pass, or two forms of non-photographic ID, one with your address on. This could be the poll card and a bank card for instance or a recent utility bill and a bank card. The full list is on the website.

More information can be found here. 

The council said this is being run because reports of alleged electoral fraud through voter impersonation more than doubled between 2014 and 2016, according to national figures from the Electoral Commission.

If you don’t have those IDs, you can apply for a postal vote or a proxy vote – or apply to the council for a certificate of identity.

What happens if I can’t get to the polling station? 

You can apply for a postal vote, or a proxy vote. This means someone can go and vote on your behalf. You can apply for that here.

The person you choose as your proxy must be old enough and registered to vote.

What happens at the polling station?

Go to the desk and give your ID or polling card to the staff

Staff will issue you with a ballot paper

Take your ballot paper to the voting booth

Read the instructions in the booth and mark your ballot paper and fold it over

Put your folded ballot paper into the ballot box.

What will happen between now and May 3?

Expect to see a lot of leaflets and a lot of campaigning. Candidates will be out knocking on doors and talking to voters from now until election day.

To register to vote, click here.