LOCAL elections look set to go ahead in May – but voters will have to bring their own pencil to mark their ballot paper under new coronavirus safety rules.

There had been fears that the pandemic would lead to the polls being postponed again, but they are reportedly set to take place as planned.

However, voters will have to wear masks inside polling stations, and will have to bring their own pen or pencil to mark their ballot, according to the BBC.

An announcement is expected to be made by the Government later on Friday.

Posting to Facebook, Cllr Phil North, leader of Test Valley Borough Council, said: "It has been confirmed today that the scheduled elections due to take place on the 6th May this year WILL be going ahead. In our area that means a full set of Hampshire County Council  elections, the Police and Crime Commissioner poll and Test Valley Borough Council and Andover Town Council by-elections delayed from last year.

"To be honest, I’ve got mixed views on this. On the one hand, timely elections are essential for our democracy. On the other, I know some people will be concerned about voting in person."

A bumper set of elections are due to be held across Great Britain on “Super Thursday” – May 6 – including a number of contests postponed from 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In London, there will be elections for the mayor and assembly, which were originally due to take place last year.

And across the rest of England, voters will be choosing a mixture of councillors, local mayors, regional mayors and police commissioners.

Voters in Scotland and Wales will be choosing new parliaments – though a decision on whether these will go ahead will be made by their respective governments.

The scale of “Super Thursday” means that every voter in Great Britain will be able to take part in at least one type of poll, making it the biggest event of its kind outside a general election.

It will also be the first big electoral test for Sir Keir Starmer since he became Labour leader in April 2020, and for Prime Minister Boris Johnson since his general election victory in December 2019.