Elections 2026: Which votes are happening in May - and for what?

There are a group of elections taking place in parts of the UK on Thursday 7 May 2026.

It's an occasion where millions of voters get to have their say on how many things are run in the areas, or countries, where they live.

The votes taking place include national elections in Scotland and Wales and some local and mayoral elections in England.

This time around there aren't any elections in Northern Ireland - they're due in May 2027.

Read on to find out more about the votes and what they're for below...

In Scotland, every five years, there are elections where voters choose who represents their area in the Scottish Parliament.

People aged over 16 get to have their say as 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament, or MSPs, are elected.

Usually the party with the most MSPs forms the Scottish government, and its leader becomes first minister.

If no single party gets an overall majority, they might do a deal with another party so that they have enough support in the Parliament to make their plans happen.

The Scottish Government's powers include running the education system, the NHS, housing and the environment.

It also manages local government, justice, policing and the courts, and some welfare benefits.

In Wales, voters are taking part in elections for the national parliament.

It is called the Senedd, and the politicians elected to work there are called Members of the Senedd - or MS for short.

Senedd elections take place every five years but in 2026, big changes are happening to the voting system and to how many politicians are elected - up from 60 to 96.

The party that wins the most seats in the Senedd election would expect to lead the government. However, no party has ever won a majority in the Welsh Parliament.

The Welsh government is led by the first minister - elected by MSs - and it has control over public services such as health, education and local government.

It can also make laws relating to sport and recreation, tourism, town and country planning, flood defences, and the Welsh language.

As in Scotland, you can vote in these elections once you are 16-years-old.

In England it's local and mayoral elections which are taking place in 2026.

There are 317 local authorities in total in England, with around 17,000 councillors.

However, they aren't all voted for at once, instead elections are staggered over different years.

In 2026, voters across England will elect nearly 5,000 councillors in 134 councils and six mayoral contests will also run on 7 May - in Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Watford.

These local authorities are in charge of many services that people use every day like public transport, bin collections and leisure centres.

They also look after children who are in care, schools and libraries.

In these elections in England you have to be 18 and over to vote.