Leeds local elections 2018: See our essential A to Z focus on every ward as polling day looms

The local election polls are now open - and with all 99 of Leeds City Council's seats up for grabs today (Thursday, May 3) it's all to play for in the battle to oversee the city's destiny.

Ahead of polling day, the Yorkshire Evening Post has been speaking to campaigners across the city, and pulling together statistics on Leeds’s 33 wards and the key issues in each, to bring you an essential A to Z guide to the Leeds local elections 2018 and how the city’s political map could change within the next few days.

Click on the name of your part of the city below to read about the topics that have been talked about on the campaign trail - and who is vying for your vote in your ward.

The local elections are on May 3.The local elections are on May 3.
The local elections are on May 3.
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Each ward in Leeds has three councillors, with some currently dominated by particular parties and others split with a mixed representation.

Our detailed ward map above lays out how the city currently looks in terms of political representation at Leeds Civic Hall, but that could all change by Friday.

Because electors are choosing three councillors, they each get three votes, meaning some people could be persuaded to put pure party allegiances aside and split their votes.

The last time there was an all-out local election in Leeds, Labour lost control of the authority after a 24-year reign.

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Instead, the city was ruled for the next few years by an unlikely – at the time – coalition of the Conservatives, Lib Dems and Greens, before Labour won back control in 2010.

The make-up of Leeds City Council is currently Labour 58; Conservative 19; Liberal Democrat 9; Morley Borough Independents 5; Green Party 3; other independents 5.

Twenty of the city council’s sitting councillors – a fifth of the total – from across the parties have chosen to stand down this year, so there will definitely be a swathe of new faces in the Leeds Civic Hall chamber after May 3.

In total across the city, 334 candidates are standing in 33 different wards, an average of 10 per ward

You have until 10pm to cast your votes.

Make them count!