The Voter Handbook - Flipbook - Page 19
8 | After voting
Who wins?
The House of Commons uses the “first-past-the-post system”, which means that the
candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins a seat as an MP in the House of
Commons.
The political party that wins the most seats in the House of Commons will normally form
the new government and its leader will become Prime Minister.
However, if no political party wins a majority of seats then there is a ‘hung Parliament.’
This means that the largest party can either form a minority government, or it can enter
into a coalition with other parties.
The results
The results of a general election will be reported across local and national media outlets,
often with live coverage.
Local authorities will publish the results for constituencies in their area.
Normally the results of a general election are known during the following morning after
polling day.