General election ballot closing time – and strict queue rule if you happen to get there late

Millions of voters will flock to the polls today to have their say in the 2024 UK general election.

With the polling stations opening at 7am on the dot this morning, Brits have 15 hours on July 4 to cast their vote – or risk losing their voice.

Here’s all you need to know about the polling station opening hours.

What time do the polls close?

Polling stations will shut up shop at 10pm on Thursday, July 4 – and anyone attempting to get in after that will be turned away, unless there are special circumstances.

Remember you’ll need an accepted form of photo ID to vote, so if you turn up without it you will be turned away. You can go home to get your ID and try again – as long as you arrive at the polling station before 10pm.

All postal votes must also be returned by 10pm – so if you forgot to send yours back in the post, you can turn up to your local polling station and hand it in to the staff there. Make sure you hand it over in person rather than putting it through the letterbox, as it will not be accepted.

What happens if I’m still in the queue outside at 10pm?

If you’re still waiting to vote when the clock ticks over to 10pm, you should still be allowed to vote – provided you were in the polling station, or in the queue to get inside, before 10pm.

The law was changed to allow queuers to vote after the 2010 general election ended in chaos, with scores of people still waiting in line when the polls closed. They were all turned away, sparking outrage from those left without the ability to cast their vote.

The Electoral Commission held an immediate review of the problems experienced by those turned away, and recommended the law be changed to allow people still queuing at polling stations at 10pm to vote. Legislation was duly brought in to amend the rules around the cut-off time.

What time is the exit poll?

The exit poll comes out at 10pm, with samples taken throughout the day from a select number of polling stations across the country.

The current model is the brainchild of Professor John Curtice and statisician David Firth, who first introduced it in 2005. It is considered highly accurate because the methodology involves asking voters leaving the polling station to fill out a mock ballot paper based on the real one they just completed.

The exit poll is also unique in that it does not ask any follow-up questions, simply who the voter cast their ballot for. Teams stationed at scores of polling stations across the country then aim to get a detailed picture about the electorate and how it voted in particular areas.

And if you want to know what time your consituency will be declaring its new MP, have a read of our election results timeline in full.