The UK is gearing up to hold a general election on Thursday. These national votes, to choose a government to run the country, are supposed to be held every five years. But this would be the third since 2015. In a general election, the UK's 46 million voters are invited to choose an MP for their area - one of 650 constituencies. Anyone aged 18 or over can vote, as long as they are registered and a British citizen or qualifying citizen of the Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland. Detailed proposals for everything from the economy to defence and policing are set out before any general election in manifestos. The issues UK voters care most about have changed a lot, according to the polls. When the overall result is known, the leader of the winning party, if there is one, visits Buckingham Palace to ask the Queen for permission to form a new government.
