In the UK, we live in a democracy which means
power is in the hands of the people through
our right to vote.
Throughout history, lots of people in the
UK have campaigned for the voting rights we
have today.
There are lots of different types of elections
to vote in: general, local, European. Let’s
take a closer look at how MPs are elected
to the House of Commons through
the General Election.
General elections take place in the UK usually
once every five years and every seat is up
for grabs.
On polling day, voters make a choice from
a list of candidates. The candidate with the
most votes then becomes that constituency’s
MP.
OK, but how would I know who to vote for?
Before elections, candidates need to campaign
to get people to vote for them. Campaigning
can involve handing out political leaflets,
speaking in public debates, talking to people
during door to door visits, and party political
broadcasts.
Parties standing for election publish a declaration
of their policies during the campaign, called
a manifesto.
Once elected an MP represents all their constituents
– even the ones that didn’t vote, or voted
for a different candidate.
The party with the most MPs elected forms
the Government, and their leader
becomes Prime Minister.
And if there’s a ‘hung Parliament’,
where there’s no clear winner, then a minority
government or a coalition government may be
created or a fresh election held.
