• British citizens aged 18 or over;
• Citizens of the Irish Republic and Commonwealth countries who are aged 18 or over and meet certain residency requirements.

"The ballot is stronger than the bullet."
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

Voting is important because for the vast majority of people, voting is the main way they can influence decisions about how the country is run.

The Electoral Commission is doing research into whether the age for voting should be lowered. It is due to consult the general public in the summer (July to September). Go to the Web link section to find out how you can get involved.

Click here to find out who can't vote:

The House of Commons is the elected chamber of the United Kingdom's national parliament. It has 659 members, known as Members of Parliament (MPs). General Elections to the House of Commons must take place at least every five years, but the exact timing is up to the Prime Minister.

Voters live in a constituency, which is the area that a Member of Parliament is responsible for. Each voter casts a single ballot (or vote) for the candidate of his or her choice. At the end of the Election Day the votes are added up and the candidate with the highest total (a simple majority) is declared the winner.

Most candidates for election represent political parties, and the party with the most MPs generally forms the new government. The Prime Minister is the leader of that party.

Government is like the management of the country. It is made up of the different Departments run by Ministers. The Prime Minister is in charge of it and selects members of his or her party to be ministers.

Parliament, which consists of the monarch, the House of Lords and the House of Commons, is responsible for passing legislation and checking that the Government is doing its job properly.

What is the 'first past the post' system'?

Other voting systems.