How do elections work in great britain

But, in the wake of 's prediction-confounding result, many will be wary of a vote that is much closer-than-expected. In a general election, the U. All British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizens resident in the country and aged years-old or over on Dec. Britons living abroad — who have been registered to vote in the U. The total number of registered U.

Polling stations open between a. London time on Thursday — but some may have already cast their ballot in advance by post. General elections in Britain operate on a first-past-the-post basis. This means the political candidate that receives the most votes in each constituency will win a seat in parliament.

Advocates of first-past-the-post argue it is a simple and familiar process which usually delivers a one-party government. This allows the elected party to form an executive and implement their plans over the next five years. However, this voting system is not without its critics. That's because, in most constituencies, the majority of Britons typically end up voting against the winning candidate rather than for them.

In fact, of the 21 general elections held between and , the majority of voters only voted for parties that formed the government on two separate occasions, according to the Electoral Reform Society. Some of the U. An exit poll published when polls close at p. In , this poll correctly called that Theresa May 's Conservative Party had fallen short of an expected parliamentary majority. Most constituencies start counting votes immediately after p.

A clear exit poll at p. However, if the result is too close to call, parties are likely to wait until almost every ballot has been counted. If no party can secure a parliamentary majority, the result is known as a hung parliament. You can find your local MP. Read more about general elections on The Electoral Commission website. To help us improve GOV. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in.

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Types of election, referendums, and who can vote. General election General elections elections to the UK Parliament usually take place every 5 years. Print entire guide. Related content How to vote Register to vote.