Who can vote in a general election? All you need to know

This come after he was asked at PMQs whether he will call a snap election by SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn.

Sunak said: “As I have said repeatedly to him, there is – spoiler alert – there is going to be a general election in the second half of this year.”

Responding, Flynn accused the PM of continuing to “play games with the public”.

But Mr Sunak later confirmed the date for the election in a speech to the press in the rain outside 10 Downing Street.

Once again there are snap election rumours. I have been a sceptic every time so far. More importantly, people I trust who are in the loop have told me it's nonsense. This time, those people are silent

— Tim Shipman (@ShippersUnbound) May 22, 2024

What were the results of the last general election?

Recommended reading:

Rishi Sunak election update: What is a snap election?

Where the inflation and national debt figures leave Sunak’s five priorities

PM repeats election will be in second half of the year amid summer speculation

Who is eligible to vote in UK parliament elections?

UK parliament elections

Across the whole of the UK, to vote in an election for the UK Parliament someone must:

• be registered to vote in the constituency
• be of voting age – 18 years old on polling day
• be either a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland
• and not be subject to any ‘legal incapacity’ to vote – prisoners serving a sentence for a conviction cannot vote in UK parliamentary elections and neither can peers in the House of Lords.

The eligibility of Irish and Commonwealth citizens to vote in UK elections comes from the historic links between the UK and Ireland and between the UK and countries of the former British Empire.