General Election 2017: Millions of voters head to the polls

Polling stations are open until 10pm for electors to deliver their verdict on who they want to see in Downing Street.

Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May
Image: Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May are battling it out for the keys to Number 10
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Around 30 million voters are going to the polls in the General Election called by Theresa May just over seven weeks ago.

Polling stations all over the UK are open until 10pm on Thursday, with the results being declared overnight and throughout Friday.

 Theresa May and her husband Philip leave a polling station in Sonning
Image: Theresa May and her husband Philip voted at their polling station in Sonning, Berkshire

With the campaigning over, party leaders have been casting their votes.

Polling day follows a frantic dash for votes in the final 24 hours of campaigning by the Prime Minister, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron.

:: Tight security as voters head to the polls

Mrs May campaigned across England in five constituencies; in London, Southampton, Norfolk, Nottinghamshire and Birmingham.

Jeremy Corbyn at a polling station in his north London constituency
Image: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn exercised his vote in Islington, north London

Mr Corbyn made six campaign visits, to Glasgow, Runcorn, Colwyn Bay, Watford and Harrow before ending up in Islington, north London.

More on General Election 2017

Mr Farron also clocked up six visits, to Solihull, St Albans, Twickenham, Carshalton, Bath and Oxford.

Sky's General Election coverage

But many voters have already cast their vote. It is estimated that by the time the polls close about one in five of the electorate will have cast a postal vote.

:: Vote 2017: When will you know the result?

This is the first time since 1992 that a General Election has been a stand-alone event without local elections being held on the same day, which should speed up counting on Thursday night.

It is also the first UK General Election where campaigning has been halted by terrorist attacks. It was halted for three days after the Manchester bombing last month and for a day after the London Bridge attack.

The vote is taking place amid tight security.

The snap poll was called by the Prime Minister in a shock announcement on 18 April, the day MPs returned to Westminster after Easter.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon preparing to vote in the General Election
Image: SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was joined by her husband Peter Murrell in Glasgow

Some 650 seats in the House of Commons are being contested, 553 in England, 59 in Scotland, 40 in Wales and 18 in Northern Ireland. To win an overall Commons majority, a party needs to win 326 seats.

At the last General Election in 2015, David Cameron won a majority of 12 for the Conservatives after five years leading a Coalition government with the Liberal Democrats. Turnout in 2015 was 66.2%.

Tim Farron waves to the cameras before casting his vote
Image: Tim Farron waves to the cameras before casting his vote

The Conservatives won 37.7% of the votes and 331 seats, Labour 31.2% and 232 seats, UKIP 12.9% and one seat and the Liberal Democrats 8.1% and eight seats.

But Mr Cameron then quit as Prime Minister immediately after the UK voted to leave the European Union in a referendum on 23 June last year and he was succeeded by Mrs May last July.

UKIP leader Paul Nuttall
Image: UKIP leader Paul Nuttall emerges from the polling station

In this election there are fewer candidates, 3,306, than in any General Election since 1992, largely because UKIP and the Greens have stood aside in certain constituencies.

UKIP is fighting 378 seats, 246 fewer than in 2015, and the Greens 468, 105 fewer than two years ago.

:: Watch Sky's election night coverage from 9pm, co-hosted by Adam Boulton at Sky Centre and Sophy Ridge in Westminster.