Voters were casting their ballots as polling stations were operating under coronavirus restrictions across Great Britain.
Polling stations opened at 7am on Thursday for local council elections across England, as well as the London mayoral election, and the Hartlepool parliamentary by-election.
Here are the most unusual sights as the polls opened.
Snowy conditions at a Scottish Parliamentary election polling station in the village of Farr, near Inverness (Paul Campbell/PA)
In Oxford, voter Toby Porter cast his ballot in a car boot after the church warden opening his polling station “overslept apparently”.
According to Oxford City Council, the building – Oxford Centre for Mission Studies – was open within 15 minutes.
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image copyrightPA Media/Toby Porter
image captionThe boot of the car was used as a polling station while officials tried find the keys to the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies
A car boot has been used to cast votes in the local elections after the normal polling station could not be opened because a church warden overslept .
Polls were due to open at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies at 07:00 BST but voters turned up to find the doors locked.
Oxford City Council confirmed the presiding officer instead used their car as a makeshift polling station.
A council spokesman said the building was open within 15 minutes.
Election officials set up a temporary polling booth in a car boot after the keyholder to the normal station overslept.
Polls were due to open at 7am on Thursday at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, however voters arrived to find the doors locked.
Oxford City Council confirmed the keyholder had overslept, and the presiding officer used their car as a makeshift polling station as is “standard procedure”.
A spokesman said everyone waiting had been able to vote, and the building was open within 15 minutes.
The church warden has overslept apparently so just cast my vote in a car. #LocalElections2021pic.twitter.com/Ast6sGWl4Y
Across the county, electors could vote for one of 63 new county councillors. In Oxford, they could also elect two new city councillors to join the total of 48 in a new council. In north and western Oxfordshire, half of Cherwell and West Oxfordshire’s district councillors were also up for election. The Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner was also up for re-election. Extra precautions were being taken at polling booths, with a one-in one-out policy and one-way system in operation at many to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Hand sanitiser was also on offer, masks were a requirement and voters were asked to bring their own pencils.