General elections 2015: Registered voters cast their votes every five years to elect a Prime Minister and MPs

The United Kingdom general elections will be held on Thursday 7 May 2015 from 07:00hrs to 22:00hrs BST. Below is a background guide to the prime ministerial contenders, main political parties, and general electoral procedures.

End of Fixed-Term Parliament and Short Campaign Begins

Parliament was dissolved on 31 March thus marking the end of the coalition government and parliamentarians who ran the country from 2010 to 2015. It also marked the official beginning of  the short campaign to canvass for votes.

Read more:

• #GE2015: Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail
• #GE2015: How to Survive the Elections

UK Parliament

The United Kingdom parliament also known as Westminster has 650 seats up for grabs and all the major parties pour huge resources into electioneering campaigns to secure victory. The party or coalition of parties that wins 326 seats in a first-past-the-post system is called to form the government by her Majesty the Queen. To be declared a member of parliament, a candidate simply has to win more votes than an opponent, not a majority of the votes. The smaller parties continue to call for proportional representation and often complain old system favours well established parties even when they secure majority of the votes.

Contenders: Four of the main candidates at the 2015 UK general elections

Make-up of 2010 Parliament

• Conservatives – 302 MPs
• Labour – 256 MPs
• Liberal Democrats – 56 MPs
• Democratic Unionist Party – 8 MPs
• Scottish National Party – 6 MPs
• Sinn Fein – 5 MPs
• Plaid Cymru – 3 MPs
• Social Democratic & Labour Party – 3 MPs
• United Kingdom Independent Party – 2 MPs

Voting

Registering to vote is seen as a civic duty by all British citizens who have reached the age of 18 although it is not mandatory. The electoral register is periodically updated in between the electoral cycles of local, European and parliamentary polls. However, members of the House of Lords or peers are excluded together with EU citizens living in the UK, convicted prisoners, and those guilty of electoral fraud in the last five years. Read about voting etiquette and other electoral miscellany here.

Is the Queen Eligible to Vote?

Yes, but it is regarded as unconstitutional for her to favour any particular party or candidate. She has a constitutional role that dictates she must be impartial and non-partisan.

The Ballot Paper

Vote: The ballot paper at a past election shows the preference of the electorate

The official ballot paper lists the names of all candidates vying for a parliamentary seat alongside the symbol of their respective parties. Voters are instructed to mark an ‘X’ against their chosen candidate.

The Numbers Game

The spectre of a hung parliament looms again as the UK electorate go to the polls at the 2015 general elections. The major parties now have their work cut out to win a majority of the votes according to pollsters. The British political scene which used to be dominated by just two parties, Labour and Conservatives, has now evolved into a bigger pool of smaller parties jostling to hold the balance of power if as predicted no one party commands a majority just as happened in 2010.

Elected MPs at 2015 General Elections

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