NORTH Ayrshire residents will take to the polls today to choose their 33 councillors to serve them for the next five years.
Increased from 30 in 2012 due to boundary changes, the councillors will represent ten wards in the local area with big parties, small parties and independent candidates hoping to be selected.
Polling stations are open until 10pm tonight and local council elections use the Single Transferable Vote system where you number your candidates in order of preference.
In North Ayrshire, only the SNP and Labour have fielded enough candidates to form an administration, with the SNP putting forward 19 candidates across the 10 wards. Labour have 17, the Conservatives have 10 with a number of other parties fielding smaller number of candidates.
The balance of power could be held by the independents as the Conservatives ruled out a formal coalition with anybody after the results are announced.
Labour were in control of North Ayrshire Council for six months leading up to the election following a by-election win prompted by the resignation of now MSP Ruth Maguire.
The counting will take place tomorrow (Friday) starting at 9am in Irvine's Portal Leisure Centre.
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