Voters across Suffolk will be taking part in local elections this week - and the results could have a big impact on life in the county.

There are votes in every district council and in every ward of Ipswich Borough Council - and polls suggest this year's elections could be some of the most significant for many years.

If you are voting in person you can go to your local polling station between 7am and 10pm.

You do not have to take your polling card but this year for the first time you do have to take photo-identification.

That can be a driving licence, passport or other accepted forms of identification. Councils have had a steady stream of applications for "Voter Authority Certificates" which can be used by those without other photographic identity cards - but it is now too late to apply for one for this week's elections.

If you have a postal vote and you've forgotten to take it in, you can seal it up and take it to your local polling station - but the vast majority of postal votes will have been sent off some time ago.

Ipswich Star: Polling stations open at 7am on Thursday.Polling stations open at 7am on Thursday. (Image: Sarah Lucy Brown)

Polls close at 10pm and after then votes are taken to counting sessions to be verified.

In most of Suffolk that is all that will happen on the night - the count itself will take place during working hours on Friday, starting at 9am.

The only place in Suffolk where counting is taking place overnight is in Ipswich where a third of the council is up for election.

Ipswich has 16 three-member wards. One councillor from each is up for election and the mathematics dictate that it is almost impossible for Labour to lose its majority.

The first result from the borough count at the town's Corn Exchange is expected to be declared just before midnight and it is hoped that the last will be announced by 2am - although recounts can cause delays.

We shall be at all the Suffolk counts running a live blog to say what is happening minute-by-minute as well as providing full details once all the results are declared.

West Suffolk council is counting at the Bury St Edmunds leisure centre and East Suffolk is counting at the Water Lane leisure centre in Lowestoft.

Both hope to have all results declared by the middle of Friday afternoon - but with some multi-member wards and the possibility of recounts any timing is likely to be open to change on the day.

Babergh and Mid-Suffolk counts are being held together at the Wherstead Park conference centre on the edge of Ipswich.

Ipswich Star: The Green Party hopes to win overall control at Mid Suffolk council.The Green Party hopes to win overall control at Mid Suffolk council. (Image: Charlotte Bond)

The count is expected to follow a similar timescale to other Suffolk districts - but this is expected to attract widespread attention because Mid-Suffolk council could become the first in the UK to be run by a majority Green administration.

While the identity of councillors should be clear by teatime on Friday, the actual make-up of the administrations to run Suffolk local authorities could take some time longer.

It is possible that the Conservatives could lose their majority on West and East Suffolk councils. 

And Mid-Suffolk council was left perfectly-balanced in 2019's local election - leaving the fate of the council in the hands of the council chair's casting vote.

Members of any councils where there is no overall majority after the elections are likely to spend much of the Bank Holiday weekend in negotiations with other parties to try to come up with a coalition to run the authority.

However decisions on these discussions may not reach a conclusion until next week when new councillors are due to meet each other for the first time at induction sessions.