Next week, voters will be asked to go to the polls and elect the people they want to represent them on a local level for the next four years.

Different political parties are currently doing what they can to ensure that they win as many seats as possible on Watford Borough Council.

The vote itself takes place on Thursday next week and candidates are using the time before then to explain why, locally, they are the person to make your life in Watford better.

The local elections do not receive the same level of interest as a General Election but they are still a chance for the people of Watford to have a say in how their town is run.

Watford Borough Council has 36 councillors and an elected mayor, each of whom is elected for a four year term to represent the people of Watford.

The current Liberal Democrat mayor Dorothy Thornhill will not be defending her seat and will stay in her post until the Mayoral elections in 2018.

This year for the first time, all of the council’s seats are up for grabs as the ward boundaries were changed.

Candidates from Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, UKIP and the Greens will be involved in the battles for each ward.

The controlling Liberal Democrat group will be hoping to retain its dominance of the authority and will aim to defend its 18 seats.

The majority opposition – Labour – will want to take some of those seats and will be defending 13 of their own council seats.

UKIP are traditionally stronger performers in local elections and will be disappointed not to add any councillors.

The Green Party don’t currently have any elected councillors and will be campaigning on key issues in several of the wards.

Many of the current seats are what you would describe as ‘safe’ — meaning that one party can reasonably expect to retain their position, based on the history of voting and the current standing of the party in those wards.

Where things will get interesting is in a handful of seats where voting is expected to go down to the wire and seats could quite possibly change hands.

The group leaders of the main parties have set out their plans for Watford.

To view the Conervatives manifesto, click here.

To view the Liberal Democrats manifesto, click here.

To view the Green Party manifesto, click here.

To view Labours manifesto, click here. 

UKIP said they were concentrating on the upcoming PCC elections and did not provide a manifesto.

The Police and Crime Commissioner elections will also take place on May 5. For all you need to know on those, click here.