Finally, it is time to select your region's Members of European Parliament (MEPs).

People across the UK will be heading to their nearest polling stations today (Thursday, May 23) to choose the party they want to represent them in Parliament. 

MEPs pass laws in the European Parliament, and will not be involved in negotiations or talks about Brexit. But how we vote could send a strong message to the country's leaders. 

The votes will be counted up using a proportional form of voting call D’Hondt. It allocates seats using a formula based on the percentage of the vote a party wins per region.

Polling station pictures

Londoners are already posting their photos of pets at polling stations. Here are a few to lighten your day:

We're keen to see your polling station photos. If you'd like to submit a photo and/or tell us why you feel it's important to vote today, send an email to ann.yip@newsquest.co.uk.

Who can I vote for in the London region?

There are eight MEP positions for the London region. Your candidates are:

Animal Welfare Party

Vanessa Helen Hudson, Jane Catherine Smith, Sam Morland, Ranjan Kumar Joshi, Mina Da Rui, Jonathan David Burton Homan, Simon Gouldman

Change UK

Gavin William James Esler, Jan Rostowski, Carole Tongue, Annabel Jean Charlotte Mullin, Karen Melanie Newman, Nora Mulready, Jessica Margaret Poppaea Simor, Haseeb Ur-Rehman

Conservative and Unionist Party

Syed Salah Kamall, Charles Tannock, Joy Inboden Morrissey, Tim Barnes, Scott Curtis Pattenden, Attic Rahman, Kirsty Miranda Finlayson, Luke Richard Parker

Green Party

Scott John Ainslie, Gulnar Hasnain, Shahrar Ali, Rachel Anne Collinson, Eleanor Phoebe Margolies, Remco van der Stoep, Kirsten De Keyser, Peter Underwood

Labour Party

Claude Ajit Moraes, Seb Dance, Katy Clark, Laura Parker, Murad Qureshi, Taranjit Kaur Chana, James Anthony Beckles, Sanchia Anita Alasia

Liberal Democrats

Irina Von Wiese, Dinesh Dhamija, Luisa Manon Porritt, Jonathan Harold Fryer, Hussain Shah Khan, Helen Diana Cross, Graham David Colley, Rabina Khan

The Brexit Party

Benyamin Naeem Habib, Lance Philip Forman, Graham Barry Shore, Alka Sehgal Cuthbert, Jimi Ogunnusi, Simon Joel Solomon Marcus, Mehrtash A'zami, Aileen Janet Quinton

UK European Union Party (UKEUP)

Pierre Edmond Kirk, Richard John Stevens, Saleyha Ahsan, Anna Novikova, Angela Antetomaso, Richard Philip Boardman

UKIP

Gerard Joseph Batten, Richard William Maguire Braine, Peter Spencer Muswell, Freddy Vachha, Robert Stephenson, Peter John McIlvenna, John Edmund Poynton, Ronie Devere Johnson

Women’s Equality Party

Catherine Mayer, Bea Gare, Nanci Karyn Hogan, Aliyah Zoe DunbarHussain, Hannah Sarah Barham-Brown, Alison Hilary Marshall, Olivia Vincenti, Leyla Mohan

Unaffiliated independents

Daze Aghaji, Roger Hallam, Alan Dennis Kirkby, Kofi Mawuli Klu, Zoe Delemere Lafferty, Claudia Mcdowell, Andrew Medhurst, Henry Muss, Mike Shad, Ian Sowden, Andrea Venzon

Read more: How you can vote tactically in the European Parliament election​