UK General Election 2024

What is a General Election?  

A general election is an opportunity for people in every part of the UK to choose their Member of Parliament (or MP). This person will represent a local area in the House of Commons for up to five years. There’s a choice of several candidates in each constituency, and the candidate that receives the most votes becomes their MP. 

How can students get involved?

The student vote has the potential to profoundly change UK politics. So, we’ve got the answers to frequently asked questions on voting as a student, this guide will run through everything you need to know so far. 

How does a general election work? 

The UK is divided into 650 areas, called constituencies. Each area has an MP, who represents it in the House of Commons in London. So, a general election is really 650 individual elections that all happen on one day, across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

On election day, people go to their local polling station to vote and receive a ballot paper, which lists all the candidates. Each person can cast one vote, by marking the ballot paper with a cross next to the name of the candidate they most want to represent them. The candidate who gets more votes than anyone else becomes the MP for that area. This is called first past the post, and that candidate wins a seat in the House of Commons. 

How is a general election won? 

To win, a political party needs to reach 326 MPs – which is half of all of them plus one. If a political party manages to do this, they win an overall majority, as they’ve won more seats than all the other parties combined. 

When there’s no clear winner – in other words, no political party wins more seats than all the other parties put together – this is what is called a hung parliament. If this happens, there are two options. Firstly, the bigger parties can try to join up with another party so that together they have 326 or more seats and create a government together. This is called a coalition government. 

Secondly, if the party that won the most MPs (but without getting an overall majority) does not want to join with another party like this, they can try to rule as a minority government. They can work to reach agreements with other political parties to support them in parliament, or seek out support from other MPs for what they want to do as they go along. 

What will happen to Parliament? 

There are usually a few days after an election is called and parliament is dissolved – or prorogued – before dissolution. Dissolution is the official term for the end of a parliament. Parliament was dissolved on 30 May. Any remaining legislation which was not passed by this date was abandoned as they cannot be carried over. 

 After parliament was dissolved, MPs returned to their constituencies to begin campaigning – acting no longer as MPs but as parliamentary candidates. 

When will the manifestos be launched? 

The parties tend to publish their document setting out their policies and what they plan to do if they are voted into power about three to four weeks before polling day, to make sure they are fresh in voters’ minds. 

What does a Member of Parliament (MP) do? 

The UK public elects MPs to represent their interests and concerns in the House of Commons. MPs consider and can propose new laws as well as raising issues that matter to you in the House. This includes asking government ministers questions about current issues including those which affect local constituents. 

Who are the candidates in my constituency? 

After the deadline for nominations has passed, a list of the candidates who are standing – or ‘Statement of Persons Nominated’ – will usually be posted on your local authority website. You can find official election information for your area on the Electoral Commission website. 

You can also find out about candidates in your area on the ‘Who Can I Vote For?’ website. 

Voting in this General Election

Please read the following FAQs on the eligibility criteria for registering and how to vote in the July 2024 General Election.

How do I check if I’m already registered to vote? 

You can view the electoral register to see if you are already registered to vote. If you voted in local elections and haven’t moved then you’re probably already registered, however, any change of address will mean you will need to re-register to vote. 

Who is eligible to vote in the General Election?

To vote in a general election, you must:

• be registered to vote
• be 18 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’)
• be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
• be resident at an address in the UK or living abroad and registered as an overseas voter
• not be legally excluded from voting

Can I still vote if I am away on 4 July?

You can still vote even if you are away on 4 July, either by proxy or postal vote.

You can ask a trusted person to vote on your behalf by applying for a proxy vote. You must:

• Ensure that you are already registered to vote
• Ensure that your proxy is also registered to vote and allowed to vote in the election taking place
• Apply for a proxy vote by 26 June

If you are at home until shortly before Polling Day, but not around on the day itself, you can vote by post by applying for a postal vote. You must:

• Ensure that you are already registered to vote
• Apply for a postal vote by 19 June

Please note that your proxy must vote in the polling station stated on your polling card.

 

Can I vote at home or at my term-time address?

In the UK, students are allowed to register to vote at both their home address and their university address. However, you are only allowed to vote once in any single General Election. 

What happens on polling day? 

The polls open at 7am and close at 10pm. After voting has closed, an exit poll will be published, which tends to correctly predict the result. The results from each constituency start to be released throughout the night. By morning, it is usually clear who the winner is, with the prime minister either resigning or staying in office. 

What voter ID do I need?

UK Photo ID Requirement - voters are required to show a form of photo identification at the polling station. Accepted forms of photo ID include: 

• Passport (UK, EEA, or Commonwealth) 
• Driving licence (UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, or EEA) 
• Biometric residence permit 
• Certain concessionary travel passes (e.g., an older person's bus pass, a disabled person's bus pass, Oyster 60+ card) 
• Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (PASS card) 
• Blue badge 
• National identity card issued by an EEA state 
• Northern Ireland electoral identity card

Please note that a UCL Student ID card is not an accepted voter ID.

What can I do if I don't have an accepted form of ID?

You can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate. 

I don’t present how my ID presents, what should I do? 

If you are concerned about using an outdated ID and being questioned at the polling station, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC). 

It’s free and asks for the following information: 

• Name (the same as that you used when registering to vote); 
• Address; 
• Date of birth; 
• National Insurance number. 

Note, however, if you have transitioned, your National Insurance number may be hidden from other government systems, such as the online voter registration system. If this is the case, you will need to contact the Returning Officer at your local council. 

You do not need to provide your gender, and VACs do not carry a gender marker. 

You will also need to submit a photo. The requirements for this are broadly similar to those for a passport photo. 

I have a physical disability, what support is there at polling stations? 

By law, polling stations must be accessible and disabled voters must be able to access support when voting. 

Every polling station will have a wheelchair-accessible polling booth. Pencils, magnifiers and large print ballot papers will be available. You can take your phone into the polling booth to use a magnifier or text-to-speech app. There will be a place to sit, if needed. Your Local Electoral Registration Office can tell you more about the arrangements at your designated polling station.