WINCHESTER residents will take to the polls today for what is being dubbed ‘Super Thursday’.

There is a bumper crop of elections this time, as many were postponed from last May because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

City council seats will be up for grabs along with Hampshire County Council divisions, the election for the police and crime commissioner and in some places, parish council polls.

The city council and the police and crime commissioner polls were postponed from last May because of the first Covid-19 lockdown. There will also be a by-election in St Michael Ward in Winchester caused by the resignation last year of Kim Gottlieb.

Every adult in England, Scotland and Wales will be able to cast at least one vote, which is rare outside a general election.

Estimated declaration times have always come with a warning they could be taken only as a rough guide and were subject to change in the light of new information.

However, in the case of this month’s elections, they have been very difficult to produce because of the circumstances of the pandemic, as authorities are unsure how long it will take to count votes while keeping to social distancing requirements.

Although voting ends at 10pm on Thursday, the final results are not expected until Monday.

Counting of votes for the Hampshire County Council election will take place on May 7.

It will be undertaken by district and borough councils at locations across Hampshire’s 11 districts.

Counting for the Winchester City Council election will take place on May 8.

Counting for the police and crime commissioner election will take place on May 10, when the results are expected to be announced in Southampton.