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| When is the next UK general election and who can vote? | When is the next UK general election and who can vote? |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the next general election will take place on 4 July. | Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the next general election will take place on 4 July. |
| Mr Sunak's announcement ended months of speculation about when the UK would go to the polls. | Mr Sunak's announcement ended months of speculation about when the UK would go to the polls. |
| What is a general election and how many MPs are there? | What is a general election and how many MPs are there? |
| The general election is to elect Members of Parliament - or MPs - to the House of Commons. | The general election is to elect Members of Parliament - or MPs - to the House of Commons. |
| The UK is divided into 650 areas, called constituencies, and each of these elects one MP to represent local residents. | The UK is divided into 650 areas, called constituencies, and each of these elects one MP to represent local residents. |
| Most candidates represent a political party, but some stand as independents. | Most candidates represent a political party, but some stand as independents. |
| Election poll tracker: How do the parties compare? | Election poll tracker: How do the parties compare? |
| Election poll tracker: How do the parties compare? | Election poll tracker: How do the parties compare? |
| Why did Sunak decide to call summer election? | Why did Sunak decide to call summer election? |
| Why did Sunak decide to call summer election? | Why did Sunak decide to call summer election? |
| How does voting work? | How does voting work? |
| In a general election, each person has one vote. | In a general election, each person has one vote. |
| On election day, registered voters in each constituency vote for their preferred candidate in their local polling station. Some people vote by post in advance. | On election day, registered voters in each constituency vote for their preferred candidate in their local polling station. Some people vote by post in advance. |
| Under a system called "first past the post", the candidate who gets the most votes becomes the MP for that area. | Under a system called "first past the post", the candidate who gets the most votes becomes the MP for that area. |
| How can I find out about my constituency? | How can I find out about my constituency? |
| This election will be fought on new constituency boundaries, redrawn to reflect population changes and to try to even out voter numbers in each area. | This election will be fought on new constituency boundaries, redrawn to reflect population changes and to try to even out voter numbers in each area. |
| Use our tool to find out which constituency you are in and an estimate of what the result would have been had these new boundaries been in place at the last general election, in 2019. | Use our tool to find out which constituency you are in and an estimate of what the result would have been had these new boundaries been in place at the last general election, in 2019. |
| What happens after the election results are announced? | What happens after the election results are announced? |
| After the votes have been counted, the King asks the leader of the party with the most MPs to become prime minister and to form a government. | After the votes have been counted, the King asks the leader of the party with the most MPs to become prime minister and to form a government. |
| The leader of the party with the second highest number of MPs becomes the leader of the opposition. | The leader of the party with the second highest number of MPs becomes the leader of the opposition. |
| If no party ends up with a majority of MPs - meaning it cannot pass legislation with just its own MPs - the result is a hung parliament. | If no party ends up with a majority of MPs - meaning it cannot pass legislation with just its own MPs - the result is a hung parliament. |
| At this point, the largest party might decide to form a coalition government with another party or operate as a minority government, relying on votes from other parties to pass any laws. | At this point, the largest party might decide to form a coalition government with another party or operate as a minority government, relying on votes from other parties to pass any laws. |
| Who can vote and how old do you have to be? | Who can vote and how old do you have to be? |
| Anyone on the electoral register aged 18 or over on polling day can vote in the general election as long as they are a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a Republic of Ireland citizen with a UK address. | Anyone on the electoral register aged 18 or over on polling day can vote in the general election as long as they are a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a Republic of Ireland citizen with a UK address. |
| All UK citizens who live abroad can register to vote in the constituency where they were previously on the electoral roll as long as they are not legally excluded from voting. | All UK citizens who live abroad can register to vote in the constituency where they were previously on the electoral roll as long as they are not legally excluded from voting. |
| You can register to vote at any time if you are 16 or over - or 14 or over in Scotland. | You can register to vote at any time if you are 16 or over - or 14 or over in Scotland. |
| Register to vote, external | Register to vote, external |
| Register to vote, external | Register to vote, external |
| Find your MP, external | Find your MP, external |
| Find your MP, external | Find your MP, external |
| How can I vote if I am on holiday? | How can I vote if I am on holiday? |
| If you know that you won't be able to get to the polling station on election day, and have already registered, you can apply for a postal vote, external. | |
| It doesn't matter whether this is because you will be on holiday, busy at work or simply find mailing your vote more convenient. | |
| You will need to prove your identity when applying. | You will need to prove your identity when applying. |
| Your postal vote needs to be with the elections team at your local council by 22:00 BST on polling day to be counted. | |
| Alternatively you can nominate a proxy, external to vote on your behalf. You and your proxy must both be registered to vote. | |
| The rules for voting by proxy have changed. If you applied for a proxy vote before 31 October 2023, this expired on 31 January 2024 and you need to apply again. | |
| You can also request an emergency proxy vote, external if last-minute work commitments or a medical emergency mean you cannot vote in person. | |
| Apply for a postal vote, external | Apply for a postal vote, external |
| Apply for a postal vote, external | Apply for a postal vote, external |
| Apply for a proxy vote, external | |
| Apply for a proxy vote, external | |
| Will I need photo ID to vote at the general election? | Will I need photo ID to vote at the general election? |
| Yes. Since May 2023, voters have to show a valid form of photo ID at polling stations to vote in person at a general election. | Yes. Since May 2023, voters have to show a valid form of photo ID at polling stations to vote in person at a general election. |
| There are 22 acceptable forms of ID, external, including: | There are 22 acceptable forms of ID, external, including: |
| passports | passports |
| passports | passports |
| driving licences | driving licences |
| driving licences | driving licences |
| Older or Disabled Person's bus passes | Older or Disabled Person's bus passes |
| Older or Disabled Person's bus passes | Older or Disabled Person's bus passes |
| Oyster 60+ cards | Oyster 60+ cards |
| Oyster 60+ cards | Oyster 60+ cards |
| You can use out-of-date photo ID as long as you look the same. | You can use out-of-date photo ID as long as you look the same. |
| Alternatively, anyone registered to vote without the correct ID - or who no longer looks like their photo - can apply for a free document called a Voter Authority Certificate, external. | Alternatively, anyone registered to vote without the correct ID - or who no longer looks like their photo - can apply for a free document called a Voter Authority Certificate, external. |
| Voters in Northern Ireland can use the Electoral Identity Card, external. | Voters in Northern Ireland can use the Electoral Identity Card, external. |
| What photo ID will you need to vote in the general election? | What photo ID will you need to vote in the general election? |
| What photo ID will you need to vote in the general election? | What photo ID will you need to vote in the general election? |
| Can I take children or pets to a polling station? | Can I take children or pets to a polling station? |
| Can I take children or pets to a polling station? | Can I take children or pets to a polling station? |
| What happens to Parliament and MPs before the election? | What happens to Parliament and MPs before the election? |
| The PM has formally asked the King to "dissolve" Parliament - the official term for closing it ahead of an election. | The PM has formally asked the King to "dissolve" Parliament - the official term for closing it ahead of an election. |
| This will happen on Thursday 30 May. | This will happen on Thursday 30 May. |
| MPs lose their status and will have to campaign for re-election if they wish to carry on. | MPs lose their status and will have to campaign for re-election if they wish to carry on. |
| More than 100 MPs have said they will stand down at the next election. | More than 100 MPs have said they will stand down at the next election. |
| Government also enters a pre-election period - previously known as "purdah" - which restricts ministerial and departmental activity during the campaign. | Government also enters a pre-election period - previously known as "purdah" - which restricts ministerial and departmental activity during the campaign. |
| How often are general elections held? | How often are general elections held? |
| The latest a Parliament can be dissolved for a general election is on the fifth anniversary of the day it first met. | The latest a Parliament can be dissolved for a general election is on the fifth anniversary of the day it first met. |
| For the current Parliament, that date is 17 December 2024. | For the current Parliament, that date is 17 December 2024. |
| However, 25 working days are then allowed to prepare for the election. | However, 25 working days are then allowed to prepare for the election. |
| So the next election had to be held by 28 January 2025. | So the next election had to be held by 28 January 2025. |
| The prime minister can call the election at a time of their choosing, within the five-year period. | The prime minister can call the election at a time of their choosing, within the five-year period. |
| Mr Sunak became prime minister on 25 October 2022 when he succeeded Liz Truss, who took over from Boris Johnson. | Mr Sunak became prime minister on 25 October 2022 when he succeeded Liz Truss, who took over from Boris Johnson. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| UK government | UK government |
| UK Parliament | UK Parliament |
| Rishi Sunak | Rishi Sunak |
| General election 2024 | General election 2024 |