How do local elections work?

In the UK (and probably lots of other places) the country is divided into smaller sections. These sections can again be divided to make even smaller sections and so on.

National politics and national elections are concerned with electing people to represent the country as a whole. These politicians deal with things on a national scale such as the Health Service, Education across the whole of the country, controlling the armed forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) and so on. The national government is responsible for national taxes such as income tax or VAT (value added tax).

Regional elections take place to deal with issues and elect representatives for a region. They would look at planning issues across quite a wide area to make sure that things can be built but not so that it spoils things for other people. They may also control regional services like fire fighting.

Local elections deal with the local authorities (or councils) that deal with very local issues such as cleaning the streets; planning where people can live and what they live in; how the local schools are run and making sure that grass in the parks is cut.

The local election is where local people get to choose who they want to be in charge of their local area. There are generally political parties who support their own candidates (or "list"). Local people will often vote for more than one person if they are allowed more than one representative for their area.

The people with the most votes are elected and the party with the most elected candidates is in control of the council (or whatever the local group of elected politicians is called).