The Local Democracy Reporter Adam Postans writes:

Four candidates are in the running to be the next West of England mayor – but what does the metro mayor do and what is the difference between their role and the mayor of Bristol?

Whoever wins at the polls on Thursday, May 6, will succeed Conservative incumbent Tim Bowles who is retiring from politics.

He became the region's first metro mayor in 2017, heading up the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) comprising Bristol city, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset councils, whose residents can vote for Mr Bowles' successor.

North Somerset Council chose not to be part of the combined authority from the outset, and recent efforts for it to join ahead of next month's local elections have been thwarted.

The metro mayoral election is the only one of four which was originally scheduled for May 2021 – the ballot for Bristol's mayor and city councillors, as well as Avon & Somerset police and crime commissioner, were all postponed by 12 months because of the pandemic.

This may add confusion for many voters as there are now two separate mayoral posts up for grabs at the same time.

So let's try to clear that up, starting with the candidates for metro (regional) mayor, which is fairly straightforward as it's the same four who declared themselves in the race months ago:

Dan Norris (Labour)

Dan Norris was MP for Wansdyke from 1997 until the seat was abolished in 2010 when he lost to the Tories' Jacob Rees-Mogg for North East Somerset.

He became an Environment Minister under Gordon Brown in 2009, having begun his career in politics as a Bristol city councillor 20 years earlier, serving also on Avon County Council in the mid-1990s.

Jerome Thomas (Green)

Jerome Thomas stepped down as deputy leader of the Green group on Bristol City Council to campaign to be metro mayor, having been elected as the party's first member for Clifton in 2015.

He has campaigned against Bristol Airport's expansion and previously set up and ran a business, Metro Safety Group, before entering local politics.

Samuel Williams (Conservative)

Charity campaigner and communication specialist Samuel Williams was originally set to contest the 2020 Bristol mayoral election but, following its postponement, became the Conservatives metro mayor candidate after Mr Bowles announced his retirement.

He is director of Hodos Consultancy Co in Bristol, chairman of Global Aware Bristol, and UK and Ireland manager of Christian Aid Salt Business Network, which encourages business leaders to work together to bring positive change and eradicate poverty.

Stephen Williams (Liberal Democrats)

Having finished third in the inaugural West of England mayoral election in 2017, Stephen Williams is the only candidate to be standing again.

He was MP for Bristol West from 2005 until 2015 when he was defeated by Labour's Thamgam Debbonaire.

The former Avon county and Bristol city councillor served in the coalition government as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Communities and Local Government from 2013 to 2015.

What does the West of England metro mayor do?

The regional mayor isn't responsible for collecting the bins, filling potholes or providing libraries.

They lead Weca which is responsible for the region's strategic development of business, skills, housing and transport.

Weca also spearheads the recovery plan for the region to make sure the right support and infrastructure is in place for residents and businesses to overcome the economic blow of Covid.

What is the difference between the West of England mayor, Bristol's mayor and council leaders?

The metro, or regional, mayor works together with Bristol's mayor and the leaders of South Gloucestershire and B&NES councils to create a strategy and make decisions to benefit the region as a whole.

Bristol's mayor leads Bristol City Council and is responsible for its area, while that role in the other two local authorities is taken by council leaders.

The three councils are still responsible for most public services, such as waste, highways management, schools and leisure facilities, while the metro mayor focuses on wider issues that span the region, such as economic growth and strategic planning.

How much funding does the combined authority bring to the West of England?

Financial benefits were part of a devolution deal agreed in 2017, bringing £900million of new investment into the region.

Since then more than £1.15billion of new funding has been secured for the Weca region that is attributable to the combined authority.

How does the voting work?

Electors have two votes on the same ballot paper – one for their first-choice candidate and one, if they wish, for their second choice, under a system called the "supplementary vote".

The idea is that candidates require a broader base of support so that the result is closer to a consensus than a simple first-past-the-post.

If no candidate wins 50 per cent of the vote, the top two continue to a run-off where second preferences are counted, with the rest eliminated.

What are the deadlines to be eligible to vote?

The deadline to register to vote is 11.59pm on Monday, April 19.

You can check eligibility and register on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Voters have a range of options for casting their ballot – in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on April 20, and for a proxy vote by 5pm on April 27.

Weca returning officer Shahzia Daya said: "It's important to make sure your voice is heard at the elections in May.

"You can vote either at a polling station, by post or by proxy.

"However you choose to vote, you must be registered in order to have your say at the elections.

"If you decide to vote by post, don't wait until the deadline to apply.

"Sending your application now will make sure it is processed early, and your postal vote can be sent to you more quickly."