Scotland's other election

The Scottish Parliament election is not the only one taking place on 1 May.

Voters are being asked to chose their local councillors who will manage their schools, empty their bins and levy their annual council tax.

COUNCIL CONTROL

Aberdeen - No overall control

Aberdeenshire - No overall control

Angus - SNP

Argyll and Bute - Independent

Clackmannanshire - SNP

Dumfries and Galloway - No overall control

Dundee - No overall control

East Ayrshire - Labour

East Dunbartonshire - No overall control

East Lothian - Labour

East Renfrewshire - No overall control

Edinburgh - Labour

Falkirk - No overall control

Fife - No overall control

Glasgow - Labour

Highland - Independent

Inverclyde - No overall control

Midlothian - Labour

Moray - No overall control

North Ayrshire - Labour

North Lanarkshire - Labour

Orkney - Independent

Perth and Kinross - No overall control

Renfrewshire - Labour

Scottish Borders - No overall control

Shetland - Independent

South Ayrshire - Labour

South Lanarkshire - Labour

Stirling - No overall control

West Dunbartonshire - No overall control

West Lothian - Labour

Western Isles - Independent

Cosla, the umbrella group for Scotland's 32 councils, believes it is crucial that people do not waste their opportunity to vote for their councillor.

A Cosla spokesman said: "Councils form an important tier of government which is closest to the people.

"They deliver vital services 365 days of the year and on 1 May voters will be given the chance to elect the politicians who will be in charge of those services.

"We wouldn't want people to forget that as well as the Scottish Parliament elections there are council elections."

Of Scotland's 32 councils, Labour has direct control of 11, with minority or administrative control in five more.

Elsewhere, control is divided between the SNP, the Liberal Democrats and Independents.

One of the ballots for the Scottish Parliament will be decided through proportional representation. This is not the case for the council elections which will be done through the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system.