The elections use a single transferable vote system, which means voters can rank candidates reflecting on what their preferences are. The candidates will be running for one each of 462 available council seats.
Northern Ireland’s councils are responsible for setting prices, planning, waste collection, leisure services and parks.
Despite being a local election, the current Stormont deadlock, the assembly having not been operational for over a year because of the DUP’s boycott of the power-sharing institutions in protest against post-Brexit trading arrangements, will be important as parties take performance at the polls as an indicative of the popularity of their wider platforms.
Last year, Sinn Fein overtook the DUP to become the largest party at Stormont for the first time.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, DUP leader, pledged that his party is hoping to improve on the number of council members until they reach a balance among the others.