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

All the seats on Tonbridge and Malling council are due to be contested on May 4.

But following a revision to ward boundaries coming into effect for the first time, there will be fewer seats – only 44 instead of 54 – and fewer wards.

The revised 19 wards are: Pilgrims with Ightham; Birling, Leybourne and Ryarsh; Snodland West and Holborough Lakes; Snodland East and Ham Hill; Aylesford North and North Downs; and Walderslade.

In addition there is Larkfield; Borough Green and Platt; East Malling, West Malling and Offham; Aylesford South and Ditton; Kings Hill; Bourne; East Peckham, West Peckham, Mereworth and Wateringbury.

And finally, Hildenborough; Trench; Higham; Cage Green and Angel; Judd; and Vauxhall.

Walderslade returns only one councillors, the others return either two or three.

At present the council is comprised of 36 Conservatives, nine Lib Dems, three Greens, three Independent Alliance and one Labour councillor (there are two vacancies), but it's anyone's guess how the changes to ward boundaries may affect voting patterns.

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.

The borough council's electoral services department is also always ready and willing to give advice. They can be contacted on 01732 876022.

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 Certificate.

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

Anyone elected this May will serve a four-year term.

All councillors currently get paid a basic allowance of £5,175 a year, which is reviewed each year.

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

A total of 27 councils in the borough will go to the polls, with a total of 269 seats available.

All the seats on the following parish or town councils are due to be contested: Addington, Hildenborough, Plaxtol, West Malling, Birling, Ightham, Ryarsh, West Peckham, Borough Green, Kings Hill, Shipbourne, Wouldham, Burham, Leybourne, Stansted, Wrotham, Ditton, Offham, Trottiscliffe, East Peckham, Platt and Wateringbury.

As well as Aylesford, East Malling and Larkfield, Hadlow, Mereworth and Snodland.

Some parish councils pay their members a small attendance allowance, others do not.

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.

Again, make sure your nomination is submitted before April 4.