By Richard Whitehouse/LDR.

As many people across the country are casting their vote in local elections today (May 5th) some in Cornwall might be wondering why there are no polling stations here. But there is a reason why no ballot papers have dropped through your letterbox.

Cornwall Council held its elections last year and the council operates on a four-year cycle so the next elections will not be held until 2024. The elections in May 2021 saw the council reduce the number of councillors from 123 to 87.

Last year's elections saw the Conservatives take control of Cornwall Council after winning 47 of the 87 seats available. However, while they won the highest number of seats they only took 37% of the votes cast.

The rest of the council is made up of 16 Independent councillors, 13 Liberal Democrats, five Mebyon Kernow, five Labour and one Green Party councillor.

Political commentators are looking closely at today's local elections expecting them to be an indicator of what the public thinks about the major political parties. Some expect that the Conservatives could take a hit based on what is happening in Westminster with the cost of living crisis and the ongoing investigations into lockdown parties in Downing Street.

There is also a suggestion that the Liberal Democrats could make some gains, particularly in those local elections being held in some parts of the South and South West.

But while there will be some people in Cornwall who might have been hoping to use their votes in the local elections to indicate their views on the national political picture there will not be any chance to do so next week.

However, while there are no local council elections in Cornwall there are two referendums coming up over the next few weeks for neighbourhood development plans in some parts of Cornwall. And there is one town council seat election later this month.

The neighbourhood development plan referendums will take place in Looe on May 12 and in Mawnan on May 19.

A town council election is set to be held for the Trenance ward on Newquay Town Council on Thursday, May 26. Three people are standing – Sarah Dingley, Independent; Jahred Love, Independent Standing for Traditional Values; and Sarah Thomson, Green Party.

An election was also due to be held on May 26 for Bodmin Town Council in the St Petrocs ward, but no nominations were received so a new election will be held on a date to be announced by the returning officer.