Polls Open across England, Scotland, Wales in biggest UK Elections since 2024

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Millions of voters across the United Kingdom headed to the polls on Thursday in the country’s biggest round of elections since the 2024 general election, with key contests taking place across England, Scotland and Wales.

The elections will determine who governs Scotland and Wales, while voters in England are choosing thousands of local councillors and several mayors in contests expected to test the popularity of political parties midway into the current parliamentary term.

Polling stations opened at 7:00 a.m. BST and are scheduled to close at 10:00 p.m., with early results expected overnight.

In Scotland, all 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament are being contested, with voters electing both constituency and regional Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). The outcome will determine who forms the next Scottish government and who becomes First Minister.

The governing Scottish National Party is seeking to maintain its dominance after narrowly missing an outright majority in the last parliamentary election in 2021.

In Wales, all seats in the Senedd are also up for election under a newly introduced voting system. The number of Members of the Senedd has increased from 60 to 96, with 16 larger constituencies each electing six representatives.

The traditional first-past-the-post system has been replaced with the proportional D’Hondt method, meaning voters now cast a single vote for political parties rather than individual candidates.

The new system could significantly reshape Welsh politics by giving smaller parties greater opportunities for representation.

Meanwhile, in England, voters are electing about 5,000 councillors across 136 local authorities, alongside six mayoral contests in areas including Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Watford.

The local elections are expected to provide an important indication of public sentiment toward the ruling Labour Party government since it came to power in 2024.

Election officials reminded voters in England that valid photo identification is required to vote in local elections, while no ID is needed for parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales.

Authorities also encouraged voter participation throughout the day, with broadcasters and election monitors closely watching turnout figures and regional voting trends.

No elections are being held in Northern Ireland, where the next local and Assembly elections are scheduled for 2027.