The future of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Conservative Party hangs in the balance as millions of voters across the United Kingdom cast their ballots on Thursday. Earlier, hundreds of thousands of people had cast their ballot by postal vote.
Voting across 650 constituencies across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland began at 7 am and will end at 10 pm (local time). The majority mark is 326. Follow LIVE updates of the UK elections here.
An exit poll commissioned by the main UK broadcasters will also be published as soon as the polls close.
Counting of votes would also commence immediately after voting ends, with the first results expected just before midnight local time.
While UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Conservative Party eye another term in office, the opposition Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer is expecting a landslide victory.
Earlier today, Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty walked hand-in-hand to their local polling booth in the constituency of Richmond and Northallerton in Yorkshire to cast their votes.
“The polls are open. Vote Conservative to stop the Labour supermajority which would mean higher taxes for a generation,” he shared on X.
Little later, Starmer and wife Victoria were seen at their polling station in Camden, north London.
“Today, Britain can begin a new chapter,” Starmer told voters in a statement. “We cannot afford five more years under the Conservatives. But change will only happen if you vote Labour.”
The current parliament was dissolved on May 30 after the election dates were announced.
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In the preceding six-week election campaign, both leaders wrapped up their campaign with contrasting messages. While Sunak urging voters not to hand “tax-raising” Labour a “supermajority”, Starmer played down the prospect of a landslide win for fear of a low turnout impacting the final outcome.
Besides the two main parties, voters will be choosing from a list of candidates representing the Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Scottish National Party (SNP), SDLP, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Sinn Fien, Plaid Cymru, the anti-immigration Reform Party and several contesting as Independent.
Polling experts have forecast a low turnout, which stood at 67 per cent in the last general election in December 2019 when Johnson won a solid majority on his get Brexit done message.
According to the UK’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) media watchdog rules, no discussion or analysis of political issues is allowed until voting ends.