London: Millions are voting in the so-called Super Thursday local elections for mayors and councillors in England, seats in the devolved Scottish parliament and Welsh Assembly as well as a by-election for the Westminster parliament.
It marks the biggest round of polling covering most of the United Kingdom, except Northern Ireland, since the December 2019 General Election just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country.
Up to 48 million people across Britain are eligible to vote in the elections which are being held in a COVID-secure setting, requiring voters to carry their pens or pencils for the ballot paper.
According to Electoral Commission guidance, voters will also have to wear a face-covering and limits will be in place on how many people can be inside a polling station and social distancing will be required for those volunteering to help out.
In Scotland and Wales, the electorate will decide on their national representatives in Holyrood and the Senedd respectively.
In Wales, young people aged 16 and over will get the chance to vote for the first time.
Elsewhere there are a total of 143 different councils running elections today, while in Hartlepool in north-east England voters are deciding who should represent them in Westminster.
There are also 13 mayoral elections, including for the London Mayor, and 39 police and crime commissioner elections across England and Wales after these votes were postponed in 2020 because of the pandemic.
People have also been told not to offer anyone outside of their bubble a lift to the polling station, something political parties usually do to encourage people to vote.
Experts predict many more people will have applied for a postal vote this year because of the restrictions. Those who have to self-isolate because of Covid have until 5 pm local time to apply for an emergency proxy vote.
The polls opened at 7 am local time and will close at 10 pm and the results will emerge in the coming days, with some not expected until late on Sunday.
Some counting will take place overnight on Thursday, including for the Hartlepool by-election, where a result is expected in the early hours of Friday.