General_Elections_19

General Elections December 19

General Election Assembly

What is a general election?

General elections usually happen every FIVE yearsPeople vote to decide who will represent their area (constituency) in the House of Commons Most people over 18 can vote

What is a general election?

There are 650 constituencies in the UK each with around 70,000 voters.

Before a general election?

Manifesto

Manifestos Political parties create a manifesto outlining what they would do in government. Using their manifesto, candidates from different political parties will try to persuade people to vote for them.

Before a general election?

Candidates may give interviews on TV and radio to explain why people should vote for them.

In their constituency they will meet local people to discuss the issues that affect them.

What happens before a general election?

People over 18-years-old can vote in a general election Their name must be on the Electoral Register for their area You can register to vote from 16-years-old Voters receive their polling card before an election

On the election day the British visit polling stations to cast their vote. They receive a ballot paper with a list of candidates names / parties they represent. Voters go to a polling booth and put an X by the name/party they want to vote for.

During a general election?

What happens on the day of a general election?

When the voting is over, the votes are counted. The winner is the person with the most votes. UK general elections use First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system.

The First Past the Post system means that the candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins. They become the MP for that area, taking their seat in the House of Commons. Example: Constituency A

Party A

1687

Party B

BECOMES MP

462

Party C

5665

Party D

40249

What happens aftera general election?

The person with the most votes in each constituency becomes an MP and takes their seat in the House of Commons.

What happens aftera general election?

The party with the most MPs can form the government. The leader of that party will become the Prime Minister.

The UK Government

The party (usually) with the majority of seats in the House of Commons:

• Forms the Government
• Runs departments (e.g. Home Office, Transport, Health and Social Care)
• Proposes new laws to Parliament
• Is accountable to Parliament

Credit © Number 10 Flickr

GOVERNMENT

PARLIAMENT

• Commons, Lords and Monarch
• Checks and challenges the Government
• Makes and changes laws

• Some MPs and some Lords, chosen by the Prime Minister
• Runs Government departments

UK ELECTION 2019: HOW BRITAIN VOTED

Johnson has made historic strides forward for the conservative party not seen since the day of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. His is the biggest Tory majority since the Iron Lady won 102 seats more than her opponent in 1987. Labour´s Jeremy Corbyn led his party to its worst Common defeat since 1935.

NOW YOU! WHAT DO THESE WORDS MEAN?

Building where voting takes place.Area whose voters select a representative. Public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party/candidate. Organized group of people who share the same ideology. Official list of people in a district who are entitled to vote. Information about the election date, times and the voter: address, age, electoral number. To vote. A slip of paper used to register a vote. A compartment with one open side in which one voter at a time stands to mark their ballot paper. A sealed box into which voters put ballot papers.

A polling stationA constituencyA manifesto A political party The Electoral Register A polling Card To cast a vote A ballot paper A polling booth A ballot box