The UK Parliamentary General Election elects the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The Electoral Commission, the independent elections body, publishes national and constituency results, while the House of Commons Library publishes verified vote data. Each of 650 constituencies elects 1 lawmaker, with elections at the call of the government at least every 5 years. The monarch dissolves Parliament at the request of the Prime Minister under the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022.
Polling always runs 7am to 10pm on polling day, which by convention falls on a Thursday without a legal rule. Votes are counted overnight, with first seats declared within about 90 minutes of the 22:00 close and most following overnight into Friday morning. The Electoral Commission publishes results and turnout with an administration report, while broadcasters release an exit poll, an early forecast, at 22:00. Results stand on declaration by the local Returning Officer, or election official, and seat counts decide the government, with a clear majority aiding lawmaking.
Results move by nation and by the gap between votes and seats.
The general election held on 12 December 2019 shows the gap between votes and seats. The Conservatives won 365 seats on 43.6% of the vote with about 14000000 votes and a majority of 80, ahead of Labour on 202 seats. The Liberal Democrats won 11.5% of the vote but only 11 seats, while the Scottish National Party won 48 seats on 3.9%. Polls closed at 22:00 with an exit poll projecting 368 Conservative seats and an 86-seat majority. Newcastle Upon Tyne Central declared first at 23:27, 90% of seats by 05:00, and St Ives last at 14:52 on 13 December 2019.
Key point: the party with the most votes does not always win, and voters elect only their local lawmaker, not the Prime Minister.
No historical data available
