On Thursday, voters across Wales are entitled to cast ballots in Local Government elections to elect new councils at the lowest tier of our democracy.

Being entitled to vote does not, of course, necessarily equate to being able to vote. According to the Electoral Reform Society Cymru, almost 107,000 Welsh voters are being denied the right to exercise their franchise simply because seats in their area have been filled uncontested. In those council districts, the only candidate who stood has been returned unopposed.

It’s a phenomenon that is, frankly, disappointing — and it seems to be particularly rife in Gwynedd. Out of 69 council seats, 28 are already filled, with most of those seats going to councillors who list Plaid Cymru as their political affiliation. In effect, some 30,000 voters in Gwynedd will be denied their right to vote.

In Ceredigion, just five seats have been filled uncontested, with two independent members and one each from Plaid Cymru, the Liberal-Democrats and Labour returning without their respective voters having to pass judgement on their records.

Across Wales, 74 council seats have been filled without a contest.

But what does this phenomenon of uncontested seats tell us?

Does it mean that the residents and council taxpayers of these wards are overly satisfied with the performance of these councillors, so much so that they are worthy of being returned for another term without question?

Or are those who might indeed be interested in running for public office at council level put off at the prospect of the work involved?

It’s worth noting that all of the councillors returned after next Thursday’s elections will automatically receive a 17 per cent increase on their base salary.

Perhaps, given the huge pay rises that have been initiated for our local councillors, people are simply fed up to the teeth with a system that seems broke and serves only those invested in it.

It’s not that voters don’t care or can’t be bothered. No, we are more concerned with making ends meet, coping with rising energy bills and dealing with the rising cost-of-living crisis.

And we have to do that without the benefit of a 17 per cent pay rise.