Polls open across the United Kingdom on Thursday in local and regional elections that could prove historic in Northern Ireland and increase pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The contest for the devolved assembly in Belfast could see a pro-Irish nationalist party win for the first time in the troubled history of the British province.
The results, which are expected from Friday, could have significant constitutional implications for the future of the UK, with predicted victors Sinn Fein committed to a vote in the province on reunification with Ireland.
Polls opened at 6am GMT (4pm AEST) for councils in Scotland, Wales and much of England.
Is Boris Johnson in jeopardy?
The election could be a pivotal mid-term popularity test for Prime Minister Boris Johnson following a string of recent scandals.
Mr Johnson won a landslide victory in the 2019 general election after vowing to take Britain out of the European Union and reverse rampant regional inequality.
Despite making good on his Brexit pledge, the pandemic largely stalled his domestic plans.
In recent months, his position has been put in jeopardy because of anger at revelations of lockdown-breaking parties at his Downing Street office and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Following the "Partygate" scandal, he became the first British prime minister to be fined for breaking the law while in office.
The polls should also point to whether the Labour Party poses a serious threat as it tries to make inroads across England.
'A momentous election'
The contest for Northern Ireland's power-sharing assembly is set to capture attention after numerous polls put Sinn Fein ahead.
A University of Liverpool poll reported Tuesday it remained on target to win comfortably with over a quarter of the vote.
The pro-UK Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and cross-community Alliance Party were tied for second.
Deirdre Heenan, professor of social policy at Ulster University, said there was a feeling the election "really is momentous".
"It will be a sea change if a nationalist becomes first minister," she told AFP.
Sinn Fein has dialled down its calls for Irish unity during campaigning, saying it is "not fixated" on a date for a sovereignty poll, and has focused on the rising cost of living and other local issues.
Party Vice President Michelle O'Neill has insisted voters are "looking towards the future" with pragmatism rather than the dogmatism that has long been the hallmark of Northern Irish politics.
"They're very much looking towards those of us that can work together versus those that don't want to work together," she said.
But her DUP rivals have sought to keep the spotlight on possible Irish reunification in the hope of bolstering their flagging fortunes.
In February, its first minister withdrew from the power-sharing government in protest at post-Brexit trade arrangements, prompting its collapse.
At a final election debate between the five biggest parties, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson reiterated the party would not form a new executive unless London rips up the trading terms, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol.
What is happening in the rest of the UK?
In England, the Conservatives are predicted to lose hundreds of councillors and control of long-time strongholds in London to the Labour Party.
"People across the country are going to focus on which government, which party, is going to deliver for them," Mr Johnson said this week.
Labour is bidding to leapfrog the Conservatives into second place in Scotland, behind the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), and remain the largest party in Wales, where 16- and 17-year-olds are eligible to vote for the first time.
In Scotland, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon will be hoping a strong performance in contests for all 32 local authorities can lay the groundwork for another independence referendum.
Mr Johnson has repeatedly rejected the push for a second poll, after Scots in 2014 voted by 55 per cent to 45 per cent not to break away.
