Different Types of Elections in the UK

Discover more about the 4 mains types of elections in the UK, and how you can get involved in making your vote count.

Elections in the UK

There are four main types of elections in the UK. In this article, we’ll walkthrough what each involves and why they’re important.

Types of elections

It can get quite confusing knowing what type of election is being voted on.

In the UK, there are four main types of elections:

General Elections:

These are held to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons. The party with the most MPs usually forms the government.

There are several parties in the UK. You can find out more about them in this article here – Political Parties in the UK.

Local Elections:

These elections decide who will represent you on your local council. Local councils are responsible for services such as education, housing, and rubbish collection.

Mayoral Elections:

In some areas, you may also be able to vote for a directly elected mayor who will represent your city or region.

Referendums:

A referendum is a vote where the public can express their opinion on a particular issue. Recent referendums have included decisions on Scottish independence and the UK’s membership in the European Union.

Resources

You can learn a bit more about the voting experience here.

Voting day

Learn what to expect from voting day

Voting Deadlines

What you need to know about the deadline for voting

Register to vote

You can use Gov.uk to learn how to register to vote

Share your story

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