Now is the time for people to put their name forward for the elections in May.

There will be 18 seats contested on Maidstone Borough Council.

The wards where elections will be held are Allington, Bearsted, Boxley, Coxheath and Hunton, Detling and Thurnham, Downswood and Otham, East, Fant, Harrietsham and Lenham, and High Street.

As well as Leeds, Loose, Marden and Yalding, North, Shepway North, South, Staplehurst, and Sutton Valance and Langley.

At present, they are held by nine Conservative, five Liberals Democrats, three Independents and one Labour councillor.

Most of the political parties will have already selected their candidates, but there is no bar to anyone putting their name forward as an independent.

Nor is there any fee.

Unlike the Parliamentary elections, where candidates have to pay a deposit of £500 which is lost if they do not receive 5% of the vote, there is no such requirement for local elections.

In fact, the process is easier than ever this year, because in a change to the regulations, you only need the support of two people, a proposer and seconder, to put your name forward - previously it was 10 electors.

You do not have to nominate an agent - you can do that yourself. The only cost will be any leaflets that you chose to print and deliver.

If you find think you have something to offer, the paperwork and necessary guidance can be found on a Government website here.

Maidstone council's electoral services department is also always ready and willing to give advice. They can be contacted on 01622 602000.

Voting will be on May 4, but all nomination papers have to be submitted at least a month before, by hand, to the council by 4pm on April 4. So don't leave it too long before making up your mind!

In a further change to the regulations, all voters this year will have to show voter ID or an authorised voter authority xertificate.

No-one quite knows at the stage how that will affect turn-out and voting, perhaps giving some surprise results.

Anyone elected for the borough this May will serve for only one year, instead of the normal four.

This is because the council is switching from voting by one-thirds to voting for the full council in one go next year.

All councillors currently get paid a basic allowance of £5,065 a year.

There are also many parish council elections on the same day.

All the seats on the following parish councils are due to be contested: Bearsted, Broomfield and Kingswood, Collier Street, Detling, Downswood, Harrietsham and Langley.

As well as Leeds, Lenham, Loose, Nettlestead, Otham, Staplehurst, Thurnham, Tovil and Yalding.

Some parish councils pay their members a small attendance allowance, others do not. Bearsted Parish for example pays its members £24 for every meeting attended. Tovil pays nothing.

Sadly many parish councils do not attract sufficient candidates to fill all their vacancies.

In those communities where the number of candidates is fewer than or only just equal to the number of seats, each candidate is automatically declared "elected" without anyone having to vote.

The nomination process for parishes is similar to that of the borough elections, and the forms can be found here.

Your nomination must be submitted before April 4.