It's time to make your mark on the future of Gloucestershire.

Elections are being held today (May 2) for all the seats in Gloucester, Cheltenham and Stroud councils.

Democracy is a hard-won freedom and a chance for business leaders and residents to make a change and choose the values they want driving and shaping the county for years to come.

All voices are welcome but if you don't use it, you lose it.

We hope to see you all at the polls.

Elections are also being held for the police and crime commissioner for Gloucestershire .

GLOUCESTER

Many experts have touted Gloucester as a key battleground which will help set the tone for the General Election later this year.

It is generally seen as a bellwether seat - generally won by the Party that wins the general election.

So much so that last week Channel 4 News chose the city as the location for a key debate  hosted by Krishnan Guru-Murthy, discussing the core issues for voters.

The Tories have ruled for 20 years in Gloucester and there is a Conservatives MP- Richard Graham- who has held office for 14 years. But there could be sweeping changes in the city.

All 39 seats are up for election, covering 18 wards and a party needs 20 for a majority.

A power vacuum needs to be filled after leader Richard Cook (C, Kingsway) and his deputy Hannah Norman (C, Quedgeley Fieldcourt) both stepped down. Seven other Tory councillors also decided not to remain in office, including cabinet member for communities and neighbourhoods Raymond Padilla.

So, a wealth of experience will be departing but this provides a chance to bring in new energy to the running of the city.

This could include Jennie Watkins who is hoping to make a political comeback in Gloucester.

The former deputy leader of Gloucester City Council, who is chief of staff for MP Richard Graham, is standing in Grange ward.

She lives 11 miles away in Eldersfield and already serves on Malvern Hills District Council but is eligible to stand in Gloucester because she is employed in the city.

Opposition leader Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton) will certainly see this as a chance to seize power after waiting for so long. Only two of his fellow Liberal Democrats councillors are not seeking re-election so he has plenty of experience at his back.

There are currently 21 Conservative councillors, 14 Liberal Democrats, two Labour and two Community Independents.

The Green party has candidates running in seven wards this election so will be hoping to get a foothold in the city. There are also numerous Independent, Socialist Labour and Labour and Co-operative candidates.

Under Tory rule the city has dealt with a cyber attack, the sudden closure of leisure services contractor Aspire and undergone massive regeneration.

Whoever ends up leading the council next will have to oversee the next phase which includes the completion of the £107million Forum, and the new University of Gloucestershire campus in the former Debenhams building.

But they will also have to deal with unfinished projects such as the stalled revamp of The Fleece Hotel and the redevelopment of the Gloucester Prison site.

Voters will need to decide who is best to steer through this vital stage of Gloucester's development.

Elections were also due to take place for Quedgeley Town Council but have been cancelled.

In each ward the number of candidates was equal to or less than the number of seats available, therefore each validly nominated candidate is duly elected without contest.

Voting information here 

CHELTENHAM

For decades leadership has swung between Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and No Overall Control but Lib Dems have controlled the council since 2010.

The MP is Conservative Alex Chalk who has held office since 2015.

The Lib Dems currently have an overall majority of 21 with 31 councillors in total compared to five Conservatives, two People Against Bureaucracy and two Greens.

Leader Rowena Hay (LD, Oakley) and her deputy Peter Jeffries (LD, Springbank) are both standing for re-election

Whoever wins will have to deal with the future of Cavendish House, which contained House of Fraser up until earlier this month; Cheltenham's Minster Exchange project, which is running millions of pounds over budget and the ongoing Golden Valley plans to make the town the UK's cyber capital.

Voting information here 

STROUD

Elections are being held for all 51 district councillor seats and all 53 parish/town councils across the Stroud district.

The council is currently led by a co-operative alliance of the Green, Independent Left, Community Independent and Liberal Democrat Groups.

Going into the elections, the Conservatives have 18 seats, Greens 14, Community Independents four, Independent Left four, Labour, Liberal Democrats three and there are two non-specified councillors.

Current council leader Catherine Braun ( Wotton-under-Edge) who is also leader of the Greens is standing for re-election but deputy leader Natalie Bennett (Indie Left, Horsley and Nailsworth) is not.

Leader of the Conservative Group Lindsey Green (Berkeley Vale), leader of the Community Independents Robin Layfield (Rodborough) and leader of Labour Group Steve Robinson (Nailsworth) Are all standing for re-election.

Group leader of the Liberal Democrats Ken Tucker (Wotton-under-Edge) is not standing.

One of the biggest issues facing the leadership will be the Draft Local Plan. The examination of the key document has been paused by Government Inspectors for 10 months after they raised serious concerns about its viability.

Councillors have been told they need to do more work on transport issues surrounding new developments in Sharpness and Wisloe- including how J12 and J14 of the M5 will be upgraded to cope with the influx of new residents.

They would also have to try and tackle the Brimscombe Port development which has ground to a halt. St Modwen was revealed as Stroud District Council's chosen developer for the site in 2022 but nothing has happened to date.

The council has said progress has been "slower than originally anticipated" and changes in economic circumstances in the past year have led to delays with programmes across the country.

Voting information here 

HOW TO VOTE

If you wish to vote in person at your local polling station, you will need to show a form of acceptable photographic ID.

They are:

• a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence (full or provisional)
• a driving licence issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands
• a UK passport
• a passport issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or a Commonwealth country
• a PASS card (National Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
• a Blue Badge
• a biometric residence permit (BRP)
• a Defence Identity Card (MOD form 90)
• a national identity card issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
• a Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card
• a Voter Authority Certificate
• an Anonymous Elector's Document

You can also use one of the following travel passes as photo ID when you vote:

• an older person's bus pass
• a disabled person's bus pass
• an Oyster 60+ card
• a Freedom Pass
• a Scottish National Entitlement Card (NEC)
• a 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
• a Disabled Person's Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
• a Northern Ireland concessionary travel pass

The photo on your ID must look like you. You can still use your ID even if it has expired.

If you do not have one of these, you need to have applied for a Voter Authority Certificate, although the deadline for tomorrow's elections has now passed.

You can no longer apply for a postal vote or to appoint someone to vote on your behalf.