London: The future of Rishi Sunak as Britain’s Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party hangs in the balance as the United Kingdom goes to the
London: The future of Rishi Sunak as Britain’s Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party hangs in the balance as the United Kingdom goes to the polls on Thursday.
Around 46.5 million Britons are eligible to vote in the election. The electorate votes for members of Parliament across 650 constituencies – with 326 required for a majority in the first past the post system.
Sunak, 44, is up against voter angst against the incumbent Tories after 14 years in power and has had to contend with trailing far behind 61-year-old Keir Starmer-led Labour Party throughout the six-week campaign. Both leaders wrapped up their poll pitches with contrasting messages — Sunak urging voters not to hand a “supermajority” to “tax-raising” Labour and Starmer playing down the prospect of a landslide win for fear of a low turnout impacting the final outcome.
On Thursday, around 40,000 polling booths open across the country at 7 am local time as voters turn out to mark a cross next to their chosen candidate on a paper ballot. Since this year, carrying an identification document to the polling booth has become compulsory in elections, which are open to all registered adult voters resident in the UK — including Indians as Commonwealth citizens.
Once the votes are cast and the booths officially close at 10 pm local time, the focus shifts to the definitive exit poll soon after which gives a fair snapshot of what can be expected UK-wide.
