Polling stations across the United Kingdom opened on Thursday morning, with opinion polls suggesting the centre-left Labour Party is on course to secure a substantial majority.
After 14 years in opposition, Labour is poised to gain control of the House of Commons and form a new government.
Millions of citizens will cast their votes between 7 a.m. (0600 GMT) and 10 p.m. An exit poll, released shortly after 10 p.m., will offer the first national indication of the election’s outcome.
The first of the 650 seats are expected to declare their results starting from 11:30 p.m.
In the final stretch of the campaign, party leaders made last-minute appeals to voters.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described Thursday as a pivotal moment for the country’s future, warning that a Labour supermajority would result in increased taxes.
Sunak, accompanied by his wife Akshata Murty, cast his vote at Kirby Sigston Village Hall in Northallerton, greeting reporters with a wave and a “morning” as he entered.
In his final speech on Wednesday evening, Sunak stated, “This underdog will fight to the final whistle.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer emphasized the need for change, stating that the UK “cannot afford five more years under the Conservatives” and that a new chapter could begin under his leadership.
Speaking to supporters at a community centre in Redditch, Worcestershire, Starmer urged, “If you want change, you have to vote for it.”
As the favourite to become the next prime minister, Starmer expressed satisfaction with Labour’s campaign, affirming that his party was “ready for what comes next.”
Polling averages from the seven days leading up to July 3 place Labour at 39 percent, with the Conservatives at 21 percent. The right-wing populist Reform UK follows with 16 percent, the centrist Liberal Democrats with 11 percent, and the Greens with 6 percent.
While the Conservatives have seen a slight increase compared to the previous week, Labour’s numbers have dipped from 41 percent.
Sunak called for the snap general election on May 22, setting the stage for what could be a transformative political shift in the UK.