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

Asked at PMQs earlier today (Wednesday, May 22) whether he will call a snap election by SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn at PMQs, 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”.

The second half of this year begins in around a month, which means a snap election could be held in as little as six weeks.

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

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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.