The government has postponed this year’s elections for Police and Crime Commissioners and councillors in Ipswich and Colchester because of the impact of the coronavirus crisis.
The elections will now take place in May next year with current PCCs and councillors having their term of office extended. In other parts of the country this means there will also be no mayoral elections - London's Sadiq Khan will remain in post for an extra year.
This means that next May there will be elections for both county councillors, borough councillors in Ipswich and Colchester and Police and Crime Commissioners on the same day - one of the busiest polling days ever seen in this country without a general election happening.
The government's decision to postpone the polls by a year comes the day after the Electoral Commission - the official election watchdog - called for a postponement.
It is not clear yet whether next elections will be for a full four-year term or for just a shortened three-year term of office to ensure the normal cycle returns in 2024.
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