UK General Elections Explained: How They Work, When They Happen, and How to Vote

A general election is when the UK votes to elect all 650 Members of Parliament (MPs) who sit in the House of Commons. General elections must be held every 5 years maximum, but the Prime Minister can call one earlier if they think they will win. The UK uses first past the post (FPTP), where the candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins, even if they get less than 50% of the vote. This system produces disproportionate results — in 2024, Labour won 412 seats (63%) on 33.7% of votes, while Reform UK won 5 seats (0.8%) on 14.3% of votes. Here is everything you need to know about UK general elections — how they work, when they happen, and how to vote.

When Do General Elections Happen?

General elections must be held every 5 years maximum, under the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022.

Who decides the date?

The Prime Minister chooses the date (within the 5-year window). They usually choose a date when they think they will win, based on:

• Opinion polls (is their party ahead?)
• Economic conditions (is the economy growing?)
• Political events (has the opposition made a mistake?)

Elections are usually held on Thursdays in May or June, to maximise turnout (better weather, lighter evenings).

Can an election be called early?

Yes. The Prime Minister can call an election at any time within the 5-year window. For example:

• 2024 election (called by Rishi Sunak after 4.5 years)
• 2019 election (called by Boris Johnson after 2.5 years)
• 2017 election (called by Theresa May after 2 years)

Early elections are risky — if the Prime Minister misjudges public opinion, they can lose (Theresa May lost her majority in 2017).

Can the government be forced to hold an election?

Yes, if the government loses a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons. This has not happened since 1979 (when James Callaghan's Labour government lost a confidence vote and Margaret Thatcher won the subsequent election).

Recent general elections

• 2024: 4 July (Labour won, Keir Starmer became PM)
• 2019: 12 December (Conservatives won, Boris Johnson became PM)
• 2017: 8 June (Conservatives won but lost majority, Theresa May remained PM)
• 2015: 7 May (Conservatives won, David Cameron became PM)
• 2010: 6 May (Hung parliament, Conservative-Lib Dem coalition, David Cameron became PM)

How the Electoral System Works

The UK uses first past the post (FPTP) to elect MPs.

Constituencies

The UK is divided into 650 constituencies (also called seats), each electing one MP. Constituencies have roughly equal populations (around 70,000 people each).

Examples:

• Holborn and St Pancras (London) — Keir Starmer (Labour)
• Uxbridge and South Ruislip (London) — Boris Johnson (Conservative, 2015–2023)
• Maidenhead (Berkshire) — Theresa May (Conservative)

First past the post

In each constituency, the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they get less than 50% of the vote. There is no second round or runoff.

Example (fictional constituency):

• Labour: 18,000 votes (40%) — WINS
• Conservative: 16,000 votes (36%)
• Reform UK: 6,000 votes (13%)
• Liberal Democrat: 4,000 votes (9%)
• Green: 1,000 votes (2%)

Labour wins with 40% of the vote, even though 60% of voters voted for someone else.

Why FPTP is controversial

FPTP produces disproportionate results:

• Labour (2024): 33.7% of votes → 63% of seats (412 seats)
• Conservatives (2024): 23.7% of votes → 19% of seats (121 seats)
• Liberal Democrats (2024): 12.2% of votes → 11% of seats (72 seats)
• Reform UK (2024): 14.3% of votes → 0.8% of seats (5 seats)
• Greens (2024): 6.8% of votes → 0.6% of seats (4 seats)

Reform UK won more votes than the Lib Dems but only 5 seats (compared to 72 for the Lib Dems) because their votes were spread across the country, while Lib Dem votes were concentrated in specific constituencies.

FPTP rewards parties whose votes are concentrated and punishes parties whose votes are spread evenly. See our article on proportional representation for more.

How to Vote

1. Register to vote

You must register to vote at gov.uk/register-to-vote. Registration takes 5 minutes and requires:

• Your name, address, and date of birth
• Your National Insurance number (or passport/driving licence if you don't have one)

Deadline: Registration closes 12 working days before polling day (e.g., if the election is on Thursday 4 July, registration closes on Thursday 18 June).

You must re-register if you:

• Move house
• Change your name
• Turn 18

2. Check you are registered

Check at gov.uk/check-voter-registration. If you are not registered, you cannot vote.

3. Vote on polling day

Polling day is the day of the election (always a Thursday). Polling stations are open 7am–10pm.

You will receive a poll card by post telling you where to vote (usually a local school, church, or community centre). You do not need to bring the poll card — just turn up and give your name and address.

4. Bring photo ID (England only)

Since 2023, you must bring photo ID to vote in England. Accepted ID includes:

• Passport (UK or foreign)
• Driving licence (UK or EU)
• Blue Badge (disabled parking permit)
• Voter Authority Certificate (free, apply at gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate)

If you do not have ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate (takes 5 minutes online, delivered by post).

Scotland and Wales: Photo ID is not required (yet).

5. Mark your ballot paper

You will be given a ballot paper listing all candidates in your constituency. Mark an X next to one candidate. Put the ballot paper in the ballot box.

Your vote is secret — no one knows who you voted for.

6. Postal vote or proxy vote

If you cannot vote in person, you can:

• Postal vote — vote by post (apply at gov.uk/apply-postal-vote, deadline 11 working days before polling day)
• Proxy vote — appoint someone to vote for you (apply at gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote, deadline 6 working days before polling day)

Who Can Vote?

You can vote if you are:

• 18 or over on polling day
• A British citizen, Irish citizen, or Commonwealth citizen with leave to remain in the UK
• Registered to vote
• Not legally excluded (prisoners, people convicted of electoral fraud, members of the House of Lords)

Who cannot vote?

• Under-18s (though you can register at 16)
• EU citizens (except Irish and Cypriot citizens) — EU citizens lost the right to vote in UK elections after Brexit
• Prisoners (except those on remand or serving sentences under 12 months in Scotland)
• Members of the House of Lords

How the Results Work

Counting the votes

Polling stations close at 10pm on polling day. Ballot boxes are taken to counting centres, where votes are counted by hand (no electronic voting in the UK).

Results are announced constituency by constituency throughout the night and into the morning. The first results usually come in around 11pm, and the last around 6am.

Exit poll

At 10pm, the exit poll is published — a survey of 20,000+ voters asking how they voted. The exit poll is usually accurate within 10–20 seats.

Who wins?

The party with the most seats (not the most votes) wins the election and forms the government. The leader of that party becomes Prime Minister.

To win an outright majority, a party needs 326 seats (more than half of 650).

Hung parliament

If no party wins 326 seats, it is a hung parliament. The largest party can try to form a government by:

• Minority government — govern alone, but rely on other parties to pass laws
• Coalition — form a formal partnership with another party (e.g., Conservative-Lib Dem 2010–2015)
• Confidence and supply — another party agrees to support the government on key votes (e.g., Conservative-DUP 2017–2019)

If no government can be formed, another election is called.

What Happens After the Election?

1. The Prime Minister

The leader of the winning party becomes Prime Minister. If their party already holds power, they remain PM. If their party wins power from the opposition, they move into 10 Downing Street (the PM's official residence).

The outgoing PM resigns and the new PM is appointed by the King (a formality — the King has no choice).

2. The Cabinet

The PM appoints the Cabinet — senior ministers who run government departments (Chancellor, Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary, etc.).

3. The King's Speech

Within a few weeks, the new government delivers the King's Speech — a speech (written by the government, read by the King) setting out the government's legislative agenda.

4. Parliament resumes

The new Parliament meets, and MPs get to work — debating laws, scrutinising the government, and representing their constituents.

The 2024 General Election

The 2024 general election was held on 4 July 2024. Results:

Turnout: 59.9% (lowest since 2001)

Labour won a landslide majority (174 seats), but on a historically low vote share (33.7%, lower than Jeremy Corbyn's 40% in 2017). The Conservatives suffered their worst defeat in history, losing 251 seats.

Reform UK won 14.3% of votes but only 5 seats, highlighting the distortion of FPTP.

The Bottom Line

General elections must be held every 5 years maximum, with the Prime Minister choosing the date (within that window) to maximise their party's chances. The UK uses first past the post in 650 constituencies — the candidate with most votes wins, even if they get less than 50% (no second round). You must register to vote at gov.uk/register-to-vote (takes 5 minutes), with registration closing 12 working days before polling day. In 2024, Labour won 412 seats (63%) on 33.7% of votes, while Reform UK won 5 seats (0.8%) on 14.3% of votes due to FPTP distortion. Voter ID is now required in England (photo ID like passport, driving licence, or free Voter Authority Certificate) but not in Scotland or Wales. General elections are the foundation of UK democracy, but the system is flawed — first past the post produces disproportionate results, millions of votes are wasted, and turnout is falling. Register to vote, bring photo ID (in England), and vote on polling day. Your vote might not count (if you live in a safe seat), but it is still your democratic right and responsibility.