When is the Next UK Election?
The next General Election must be held by August 2029. Expected polling day: Thursday 1 May 2029.
The short answer
The last UK General Election was held on 4 July 2024. Under the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022, Parliament must dissolve no later than five years after its first meeting following an election. That means the latest possible polling day is 28 August 2029. In practice, no prime minister would choose an August election - school holidays, reduced news coverage, lower voter engagement. The most likely date is Thursday 1 May 2029, which would allow the election to be combined with scheduled local elections and sits within the conventional spring or early summer election window.
Electoral Calendar: Key Dates
| Date / Period | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 July 2024 | Last General Election | Labour won with 174-seat majority; 5-year clock starts |
| May 2026 | Local elections | County and unitary authority elections - first major test post-2024 |
| May 2027 | Local elections (likely) | Metropolitan and district councils; Mayoral elections likely |
| May 2028 | Local elections (likely) | Further council elections; Scottish Parliament 2026 (separate) |
| ~14 April 2029 | Expected voter registration deadline | Approximately 12 working days before expected 1 May polling day |
| ~24 April 2029 | Expected postal vote deadline | Last day to apply for postal vote (typically 11 working days before) |
| 1 May 2029 | Most likely polling day | Thursday tradition; coincides with local elections; polls open 7am-10pm |
| By 28 Aug 2029 | Latest possible polling day | Legal deadline; Parliament dissolves automatically if no earlier election |
Could the Election Come Earlier?
If Labour's polling recovered significantly - say, back above 35% with a clear lead over Reform and the Conservatives - Keir Starmer might be tempted to call an early election to lock in a second term before economic conditions worsened. A snap election in autumn 2027 or spring 2028 is possible if the political context changes dramatically.
As of May 2026, Labour is polling at approximately 18% - below their 2024 result. There is no conceivable scenario in which an early election would benefit the government. With a 174-seat majority, Starmer has the luxury of time. The rational strategy is to serve the full term and hope economic conditions improve.
Under current law, only the Prime Minister (via Royal Prerogative) can trigger an early dissolution. Unlike the Fixed-term Parliaments Act (2011-2022), which required a two-thirds Commons majority for an early election, the current system restores the traditional prime ministerial power to call elections at will.
How to Register to Vote
Online registration (quickest method)
You can register to vote at gov.uk/register-to-vote. The process takes approximately 5 minutes. You will need your National Insurance number and current address. You will be added to the electoral register for your constituency.
Registration deadline: Typically 12 working days before polling day. For a 1 May 2029 election, this would be approximately 14 April 2029. Do not leave it to the last day - the website can be slow during peak registration periods.
Photo ID required since 2023
Since the Elections Act 2022, all voters in Great Britain must show photo identification at polling stations. Accepted forms include:
- UK passport
- Driving licence (full or provisional)
- Blue Badge
- Older Person's Bus Pass (English or Scottish)
- Disabled Person's Bus Pass
- Oyster 60+ card
- Voter Authority Certificate (free from your local council)
- Identity document from EU or EEA countries
If you do not have acceptable photo ID, apply for a Voter Authority Certificate from your local council. It is free and takes 1-2 weeks to arrive. Applications must be made by 5 working days before polling day.
What Happens on Election Day
Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm. You can vote at any point during the day. You do not need to make an appointment. Bring your polling card (for reference - not legally required) and your photo ID.
You can apply for a postal vote at gov.uk/apply-postal-vote. The deadline is typically 11 working days before polling day (around 24 April 2029 for a 1 May election). Postal votes must be returned by 10pm on polling day.
At exactly 10pm when polls close, the BBC/ITV/Channel 4 joint exit poll is published - the most accurate predictor of the overall result. The exit poll has been highly accurate since 2010. Results from individual constituencies begin arriving from around 11pm.
Most constituency results are declared between midnight and 4am. The final results arrive through the following day. By mid-morning the day after polling, the overall outcome is almost always certain. The Prime Minister visits Buckingham Palace to resign or seek reappointment.
The 2029 Political Landscape
What the polls say now (May 2026)
With approximately three years until the expected election, current polling shows Reform UK at approximately 28%, Conservatives at 19%, and Labour at 18%. Under First Past the Post, these national shares do not translate directly into seats - Labour's geographic efficiency means they would likely retain far more seats than their vote share implies. Nevertheless, the polling represents a dramatic reversal of the 2024 position and will shape strategy for all parties over the next three years.
The seats that will decide 2029
The key battlegrounds in 2029 will be the 80-120 Labour seats in northern England and the Midlands where Reform UK has either won (Runcorn, Blyth & Ashington) or come within striking distance (Wigan, several others). If Reform can systematically target these seats - concentrating resources rather than spreading nationally - they could win far more than uniform national swing models suggest. The Liberal Democrats will simultaneously contest 40-60 remaining Conservative seats in southern England. The result could be a hung parliament with no party able to form a majority, producing Britain's most complex post-election negotiation since February 1974.