A cup of tea and an election: UK queues up to cast its vote

FP Explainers • July 4, 2024, 19:37:32 IST

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Millions of voters across the UK stood in queue at polling stations to cast their votes in a momentous election. This election could end the Conservative rule, bringing Keir Starmer-led Labour Party to power. After the counting of votes, the final results will be declared tomorrow

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty head to a polling station in the UK’s northern English constituency of Richmond and Northallerton to cast their votes in the general elections held on July 4. This is going to be a high-stakes election for the Sunak-led Conservative Party as they are predicted to lose power after 14 years. AFP

Britain’s opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria arrive to cast their votes at a polling station in London. Labour, according to YouGov’s MRP poll prediction, is expected to win 431 of 650 parliamentary seats, up from 229 in 2019. AP

Reform Party leader Nigel Farage poses for picture with a woman during general election. The right wing party leader who has never won a seat in UK Parliament is running for the eighth time. He gained the nickname “Mr Brexit” by former US President Donald Trump after helping to persuade a majority of Britons in 2016 to vote to leave the European Union. AP

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and wife Emily Gasson head to the polling station on Thursday. The leader is projected to get 72 seats this time. He has promised to improve Britain’s health and social care systems, including by introducing free nursing care at home. AFP

Journalist Piers poses as he is ready to cast his vote outside a polling station in a T-shirt and shorts. He earlier had written on X: He penned in his caption: “Vote cast! If you don’t vote, you have no right to moan, bleat, whine or chunter about the way this country is run.” Image Courtesy: @piersmorgan/X

Scottish First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney stands with local parliamentary candidate for Angus and Perthshire Glens, Dave Doogan, after casting his vote outside the 2024 General Election polling station at Burreltown Village Hall in Blairgowrie, Scotland. AP

Queue up! Around 50 million voters are expected to arrive at around 40,000 voting stations in the country to vote for 650 members of the UK Parliament. This will also be the first time that British citizens who have lived outside the country for more than 15 years will be eligible to vote as well. AFP

The polling officer prepares her station booth before voters turn up on July 4. All voting in general elections, by-elections for individual seats, and local elections are held on a Thursday. But why only Thursday? While no law mandates it, this has been a tradition that has been followed for over eight decades with only exception being in 1978. AP

A polling station outside shows the Reform Party slogan ‘Britain needs Reform’. The Nigel-Farage-led right-wing party is seen getting 15 percent of the total voter share in this UK election, according to YouGov predictions. Reuters

Immediately after the polling ends, broadcasters in the UK will begin releasing the exit polls as soon as voting ends at 10 pm BST or 2.30 am IST. The model of exit poll, developed by British political scientist John Curtice and statistician David Firth, which has been used for election coverage since 2005 covers 130 polling stations with voters given a mock ballot, as per The Guardian report. Reuters

On July 5 (Friday), the final counting for the seats will begin and the final election results will be out by 7 am and we will know which party will stake a claim to form the next government. AP