Elections and voting

What you need to know

• You must be 18 or over to vote in a UK general election.
• General elections are held at least every five years.
• A by-election is held in a constituency when an MP dies or resigns.
• The candidate who gets the most votes in a constituency wins the seat, a system known as first past the post.
• To vote you must be on the electoral register.
• You register to vote through your local council's electoral registration office. Registering online at gov.uk only began in 2014, after the book.
• The electoral register is updated every year, and households are asked to confirm who lives there.
• Citizens of the UK, the Republic of Ireland and qualifying Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK can vote in all public elections.
• Polling stations are normally open from 7am to 10pm on election day.
• Voting is by secret ballot, and nobody may see how you voted.
• The Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Assembly are elected using forms of proportional representation.

Our summary, in our own words. The test can ask about anything in the chapter, so read the official handbook too.

Practice questions on elections and voting

All 11 of our questions on this topic. Say your answer before you open it: trying to answer first helps you remember it.

1. How old must you be to vote in a UK general election?

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   • 18

   You must be 18 or over to vote in a UK general election.

   Changed since the book: Still 18 for general elections, but 16 and 17 year olds can now vote in Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections.

2. How often must a general election be held?

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   • At least every five years

   General elections are held at least every five years.

3. When is a by-election held?

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   • When an MP dies or resigns

   A by-election is held in a constituency when its MP dies or resigns.

4. What is the voting system for UK general elections called?

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   • First past the post

   The candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins the seat, a system known as first past the post.

5. What must you be on in order to vote?

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   • The electoral register

   To vote you must be on the electoral register.

6. How can you register to vote?

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   • Through your local council's electoral registration office

   The book says you register through your local council's electoral registration office.

   Changed since the book: Since 2014 you can also register online at gov.uk.

7. How often is the electoral register updated?

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   • Every year

   The register is updated every year, and households are asked to confirm who lives there.

8. Which of these groups can vote in all UK public elections?

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   • Qualifying Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK

   Citizens of the UK, the Republic of Ireland and qualifying Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK can vote in all public elections.

9. When are polling stations normally open on election day?

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   • 7am to 10pm

   Polling stations are normally open from 7am to 10pm.

10. Can anyone require you to say how you voted?

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    • No, voting is by secret ballot

    Voting is by secret ballot and nobody may see or require you to disclose how you voted.

11. How are the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Assembly elected?

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    • Using forms of proportional representation

    The devolved legislatures are elected using forms of proportional representation, not first past the post.

    Changed since the book: The Welsh Assembly has been called the Senedd, or Welsh Parliament, since 2020.

More from chapter 5

• The British constitution
• Parliament and government
• The law and the courts
• Your role in the community