- Parliament can last up to 5 years, although it can be dissolved at any time if the ruling party loses the majority or a vote of confidence. The Queen dissolves parliament before every election, paving the way for a new party to rule if the public chooses so.
- The recent coalition government have set a fixed election date of 7th May every five years. The next one is in 2015.
- Not everyone can vote. To vote you must be under 18, not a convicted criminal/prisoner, a UK citizen and not a member of the House of Lords. If you are eligible to vote you will have to register on the electoral roll. Currently there are 45 million people registered.
- The postal vote accounted for 15% of the total votes in 2010, a steep rise from 2005.
- Representation of the People Act:
-1918: Men can vote at 21, Women over 30
-1928: All over 21 can vote
-1969: All over 18 can vote
- Voting is not compulsory.
- Any citizen over the age of 18 can stand for elections in the local area, providing they pay a £500 deposit.
- To win you must be 'first past the post.' The person with the majority vote in each constituency wins.
- National voting percentages are not reflected in seats in parliament. Labour had 50% of the seats in 2005, although they only held 35% of the overall vote. This leads to tactical voting.
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