RISHI Sunak has announced a General Election for July 4, ending months of speculation as to when he would call a new poll.
But what should you do if you're unable to visit a polling station on the day? Here's everything you need to know about postal voting.
What is a postal vote?
Postal ballots are dispatched to all registered voters within two weeks leading up to polling day.
It's important to note that they cannot be sent out any earlier, so postal voters should consider their availability before planning any vacations.
Each postal vote includes your ballot paper(s) and a Postal Voter’s Statement requiring your date of birth and signature.
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These details are cross-referenced with your application form; therefore, your vote will not be counted if they are missing or do not match.
To ensure your vote is counted, your completed postal ballot must be returned to your local elections team in an envelope using a first-class stamp before 10pm on polling day.
Any postal votes that are received after this deadline cannot be accepted.
Who can apply for a postal vote?
If you are a registered voter in the UK you can apply for a postal vote.
Applying for a postal vote provides flexibility for voters who may find it challenging to vote in person on election day.
This can be due to various reasons such as being on holiday, a work trip, or having a disability.
It ensures that voices are still heard in the electoral process without physically visiting a polling station.
What do I need to do to apply for a postal vote?
Applying for a postal vote is straightforward.
You can apply for one by:
- Contacting your local Electoral Registration Office and ask them to send you a paper form
- Downloading the postal vote application form from the Electoral Commission’s website, filling it in and sending it back in the post
- Applying online for a postal vote using the Government’s website
When is the 2024 General Election?
Rishi Sunak called a General Election for Thursday, July 4, 2024.
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Speaking from Downing St, Mr Sunak said: "The last five years have been the most challenging times since the Second World War.
"Now is the moment to choose to decide whether we want to build on the progress we have made, or risk going back to square one with no plan and no certainty."
He added: "I spoke with His Majesty the King to request the dissolution of Parliament.
This election will take place at a time when the world is more dangerous than it has been since the end of the Cold War."
Mr Sunak
"The King has granted this request, and we will have a General Election on July 4."
He added: "This election will take place at a time when the world is more dangerous than it has been since the end of the Cold War."
For months Mr Sunak had said an election would happen in the "second half of the year" but refused to set a date.
In October 2023, he hinted the next election would be in October 2024.
Who can I vote for in the General Election?
At the time of writing, OddsChecker says Labour is 2/17 to get the most seats, while the Conservatives are 12/1 to get the most seats.
A Labour majority is 1/9, while a Conservative majority is 33/1.
On PaddyPower, the odds of a Labour majority was 1/16, and a Conservative majority was 25/1.
The odds of no overall majority was 7/1.
Rishi Sunak - Conservative
Rishi Sunak became the new Prime Minister of the UK after Liz Truss stepped down just 44 days into the job.
In a brief TV statement, Britain's 57th premier said: "It is the greatest privilege of my life to be able to serve the party I love and to give back to the country I owe so much to."
Mr Sunak was born on May 12, 1980, in Southampton, Hampshire.
In 2009, he married Akshata Murthy, the daughter of Indian billionaire Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy, who co-founded the business consulting firm Infosys.
They have two daughters together, Krishna and Anoushka.
Keir Starmer - Labour
Keir Starmer is the current leader of the Labour Party after amassing over 50 per cent of the public vote in April 2020.
He raked in 275,780 votes, more than Jeremy Corbyn did when he was first elected as leader.
In an interview with The Guardian, Mr Starmer said: "The case for a bold and radical Labour government is as strong now as it was last Thursday [the 2019 General Election]".
He added that Labour's values include opposing “the moral injustice of poverty, inequality, homelessness” while advocating for internationalism and human rights".
Mr Starmer was a human rights lawyer before becoming an MP and co-founded Doughty Street Chambers in 1990.
He is married to solicitor, Victoria Starmer.
The pair have two children together, a son and a daughter.
Ed Davey - Liberal Democrats
Ed Davey is the elected leader of the Liberal Democrats.
He won the Liberal Democrat leader election by a whopping 2 to 1, beating Layla Moran with 42,000 votes.
Mr Davey studied at Jesus College, Oxford, before doing a master's at Birkbeck University.
He can speak four different languages including English, French, German and Spanish.
He married Emily Gasson in the summer of 2005, who was the Lib Dem candidate for North Dorset at the General Election that year.
The pair have one child, John Alban Davey, who was born in 2007.
