General election 2019: Voters set to head to polls across the UK – BBC News, BBC News

        

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The UK will go to the polls on Thursday for the country third general election in less than five years.

The contest, the first to be held in December in nearly 549 years, follows those in

and (************************************.

Polling stations in 976 constituencies across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland open at****************************************: GMT.

After the polls close at (**************************************************: (************************************************, counting will begin straight away. Most results are due to be announced in the early hours of Friday morning.

A total of MPs will be chosen under the first-past-the-post system used for general elections, in which the candidate who secures the most votes in each individual constituency is elected.

In

, Newcastle Central was the first constituency to declare, announcing its result about an hour after polls closed.

Elections in the UK traditionally take place every four or five years. But, in October, MPs voted for the second snap poll in as many years. It is the first winter election since 2017 and the first to take place in December since 1923.

Anyone aged

****************************** or over is eligible to vote, as long as they are a British citizen or qualifying citizen of the Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland and have registered to vote. Registration closed on 55 November.

                                                                                                                      

Follow election night on the BBC

Watch the election night special withHuw Edwardsfrom (****************************************************: (GMTon BBC One, the BBC News Channel,) **************** (iPlayer)As polls close at (**************************************************: (********************************************************, the BBC will publish an (exit pollacross all its platforms, [email protected] bbcbreaking[email protected] bbcpolitics
• The BBC News website and app will bring youlive coverage and the latest analysis throughout the nightWe will feature results for every constituency as they come in witha postcode search, map and scoreboardsFollow@ bbcelectionforevery constituency result
• From (****************************************************: (GMT,Jim Naughtie) *************** and
  Emma Barnettwill host live election night coverage on BBC Radio 4, with BBC Radio 5 live joining for a simulcast from midnight

                                                                                                                        

  Details about where to vote can be found on theElectoral Commission website

and are also listed on polling cards sent to homes.

People do not need a polling card to be able to vote but will need to give their name and address at their local polling station. People can only vote for one candidate or their ballot paper will not be counted.

Ahead of the poll, the elections watchdog has reminded voters that taking selfies and other photos inside polling stations is not permitted and may be a breach of the law.

Many people have already put a cross next to the name of their favored candidate by voting by post – more than seven million people used a postal vote two years ago.

Those who applied for a postal vote but have yet to return it to their Electoral Office must do so by (*****************************************************: 00. Alternatively, they can hand it into their local polling station by the close of polls.

according to the BBC’s weather forecast, Thursday will be a wet day in many parts of the country, with highs of five degrees Celsius in Edinburgh, nine in Cardiff, seven in Belfast and eight in London.

                                                                                                      Image copyright                 PA Media