LISTEN: Voters go to polls amid fresh effort to defrost Stormont

Q Radio News and PA

Polling stations open this morning as Northern Ireland's local council elections get underway.

819 candidates are standing for the 462 seats on offer at 11 councils across the country.

There are just under 1500 polling stations - which will remain open until 10pm tonight.

Here's Chief Electoral Officer, Virginia McVea...

This election uses the single transferable vote system, so you vote for as many or few candidates as you please.

Rank them in order of preference, with one being your most favorable candidate. 

Counting will begin at 8 tomorrow morning and should be completed in most areas by early evening, but some counts could run into Saturday. 

Meanwhile,

Among noteworthy races for seats will be Sinn Fein's former West Tyrone MP Barry McElduff's efforts to return from the political wilderness.

He was forced to step aside after offending the families of those shot dead by republicans at the height of the Troubles in Kingsmill in Co Armagh.

Mr McElduff is running for a place on Fermanagh and Omagh District Council in the far west.

In Newtownabbey, near Belfast, the DUP's first openly gay candidate is seeking election.

Alison Bennington is standing for a party which has repeatedly vetoed same-sex marriage and holds strong Christian values.

It is the first poll since gay journalist Lyra McKee, 29, was shot dead by dissident republicans during disturbances in Londonderry in April.

Her death prompted revulsion against the group blamed for the killing and a call by a Catholic priest for politicians to redouble efforts to restore devolved powersharing.

The Stormont Assembly and ministerial Executive have been suspended since early 2017.

Former Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned in a row over the DUP's handling of a botched green energy scheme.

Fresh negotiations are due to begin next week following Miss McKee's death.

There will be overnight verification of unused ballot papers returned from the polling stations, with councils ready to begin counting on Friday morning at 8am.

The election is being conducted by Single Transferable Vote, a proportional representation system.