Rhun ap Iorwerth Political Correspondent BBC Wales

The hundred day countdown is under way. Wales goes to the polls on 1 May as assembly members seek re-election for the first time. Need a reminder of what it's all about?

It's hard to believe it's almost four years since the Welsh Assembly first opened its doors. In September it'll be six years since the devolution referendum. Time flies.

Some may have become experts in that time on what the Assembly is and what it does. It may have passed others by, so I'll begin at the beginning.

On 1 May you'll have two votes, the first to choose your local member, as you would your MP. There are forty of those in all. The other vote is for a regional member, twenty in total, in five regions.

When it does get going, the partners in the Assembly Government...will be trumpeting what has been achieved

This is how it stands now - of the 60 members, 28 are Labour, 17 Plaid Cymru, and the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have nine and six members respectively.

Labour almost have a majority, but not quite, and that's why they're in partnership with the Liberal Democrats in the Welsh Assembly Government. They agreed together on a programme of policies.

But what do they have powers over?

Actually, it's quite a long list. Everyday matters such as health, education, helping business, the environment, culture and the Welsh language, local government, some elements of agriculture, are all included on the list of the Assembly's responsibilities.

However, if they actually want to change laws, or if they want to bring new ones in, they must ask Westminster to do so on their behalf.

The Welsh Assembly can't raise taxes either, so all tax issues, along with matters such as foreign affairs, defence, social security and policing, are still completely in the hands of the UK government.

Campaign issues

So that's what you'll be invited to vote for on 1 May.

The campaign should be relatively short. Parties will not want to risk boring the electorate by kicking off too early.

When it does get going, the partners in the assembly government - opposing each other on the campaign trail by then - will be trumpeting what has been achieved, like the introduction of free bus passes for pensioners.

Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives on the other hand will choose to campaign on issues such as health where they believe the government could have done more.

They all have much to do, and there's one thing that unites politicians of all parties - a fear voter apathy may be the headline on 2 May.