Millions of voters headed to polling stations on Thursday in the biggest test at the ballot box for political parties since Labour won the general election in July 2024.Almost 25,000 candidates fought to be elected to more than 5,000 seats on 136 councils across England, with Reform UK fielding around 4,800, less than 100 fewer than Labour and some 50 more than the Conservatives.The Greens have almost 4,500 candidates, with the Liberal Democrats on just under 4,000 and there are more than 2,000 other candidates from minor parties or standing as independents or for residents’ groups.Labour is defending some 2,500 of the seats being contested, meaning problems for prime minister Sir Keir Starmer as it appears the party has lost large numbers of councillors.The Conservatives are defending 1,236 seats, the Liberal Democrats 706, the Greens 194 and Reform UK just 83, mostly as a result of by-election victories or defections since the previous times these councils went to the polls.Some of the largest cities in the country and the whole of London also held elections, alongside a mix of rural districts and several county councils.It is the largest set of local elections in England for three years and a key test for all political parties.More than half of the seats that were up for grabs are being defended by Labour, reflecting the party’s current strength in London and in Metropolitan boroughs, while just over a quarter were Conservative defences.This is a different scenario from last year’s local elections, when the Tories were defending the greatest number of council seats, due to most of those contests being for county councils where the party was dominant.There has also been contests for mayoral elections in Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham and Tower Hamlets in London, and Watford in Hertfordshire.Polling stations opened between 7am and 10pm on May 7, with the first results coming in within a few hours, and the final one on the evening of Saturday May 9.All of the mayoral elections are counting on Friday May 8 with Hackney and Newham expected to declare at 1pm, Watford at 2pm, Lewisham at 3pm, Croydon at 4pm and Tower Hamlets at possibly around 6pm.On the same day, elections are taking place in the Welsh and Scottish parliaments.Where can I find the results?The majority of counts have yet to begin, including results from Scotland and Wales.But as results come in, we’ll be updating our live map for every seat across England, Wales and Scotland. You can keep track with The Independent’s live map here.Welsh Parliament results estimate declaration timesAfan Ogwr Rhondda 3.30pm Bangor Conwy Mon 3pm Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni 3pm Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd 3pm Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf 3pm Caerdydd Penarth 3pm Casnewydd Islwyn 2pm Ceredigion Penfro 3pm Clwyd 3pm Fflint Wrecsam 5.30pm Gwyr Abertawe 2pm Gwynedd Maldwyn 3.30pm Pen-y-Bont Bro Morgannwg 3pm Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr 4pm Sir Fynwy Torfaen 2pm Sir Gaerfyrddin 4pm Scottish Parliament results estimate declaration timesAberdeen Central 3.30pm Aberdeen Deeside & North Kincardine 3.30pm Aberdeen Donside 3.30pm Aberdeenshire East 3.30pm Aberdeenshire West 3.30pm Airdrie 12pm Almond Valley 2pm Angus North & Mearns 4pm Angus South 4pm Argyll & Bute 3pm Ayr 1pm Banffshire & Buchan Coast 3.30pm Bathgate 2pm Caithness, Sutherland & Ross 4pm Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley 4pm Clackmannanshire & Dunblane 4pm Clydebank & Milngavie 5pm Clydesdale 4pm Coatbridge & Chryston 1pm Cowdenbeath 3pm Cumbernauld & Kilsyth 2pm Cunninghame North 2.30pm Cunninghame South 2.30pm Dumbarton 5pm Dumfriesshire 3.30pm Dundee City East 4pm Dundee City West 4pm Dunfermline 4pm East Kilbride 4pm East Lothian Coast & Lammermuirs 3pm Eastwood 4pm Edinburgh Central 3pm Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh & Tranent 3pm Edinburgh North Eastern & Leith 3pm Edinburgh Northern 3pm Edinburgh North Western 3pm Edinburgh Southern 3pm Edinburgh South Western 3pm Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire 4.30pm Falkirk East & Linlithgow 4.30pm Falkirk West 4pm Fife Mid & Glenrothes 3pm Fife North East 3pm Galloway & Dumfries West 3.30pm Glasgow Anniesland 2.15pm Glasgow Baillieston & Shettleston 2.45pm Glasgow Cathcart & Pollock 3.45pm Glasgow Central 3pm Glasgow Easterhouse & Springburn 2.30pm Glasgow Kelvin & Maryhill 3.30pm Glasgow Southside 3.15pm Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse 4pm Inverclyde 4.30pm Inverness & Nairn 6.30pm Kilmarnock & Irvine Valley 4pm Kirkcaldy 3pm Midlothian North 4pm Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale 4.30pm Moray 2pm Motherwell & Wishaw 3pm Na h-Eileanan an Iar 1.30pm Orkney Islands 2.30pm Paisley 3pm Perthshire North 2pm Perthshire South & Kinross-shire 2pm Renfrewshire North & Cardonald 3pm Renfrewshire West & Levern Valley 3pm Rutherglen & Cambuslang 4pm Shetland Islands 2.30pm Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch 6.30pm Stirling 4pm Strathkelvin & Bearsden 2pm Uddingston & Bellshill 4pm Edinburgh & Lothians East 6pm