The 2024 General Election is now upon us, with millions of people set to head to the polls today, Thursday, 4 July.

Rishi Sunak will be hoping to maintain a majority for the Conservative Party in government, while Keir Starmer is looking to get Labour into power for the first time in 14 years. The Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, and the Green Party are also aiming to increase their presence in Parliament. With so much at stake, many are eager to have their say.

Voting information

Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm for in-person voting, with vote counting beginning immediately after the polls close. If you join the queue before 10pm, you are still allowed to vote even if the line moves past the closing time.

ID requirements

A valid photo ID is necessary to vote. Accepted forms of ID include:

• Passports
• Driving licences
• Older or disabled person's bus passes
• 60+ Oyster cards

For a detailed list of acceptable IDs, please refer to your local electoral commission's website.

Polling station etiquette

Selfies are prohibited inside polling stations to maintain ballot secrecy. Revealing how someone else voted, even accidentally, can result in a fine of up to £5,000 or six months in prison. Political discussions are also banned within polling stations, and staff will intervene if necessary.

Local candidates in Wells and Mendip Hills

• Craig Clarke (Independent)
• Helen Hims (Reform UK)
• Joe Joseph (Labour)
• Abi McGuire (Independent)
• Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat)
• Meg Powell-Chandler (Conservative)
• Peter Welsh (Green Party)

We contacted all candidates running for the MP position in the Wells and Mendip Hills constituency. Their responses to our questions can help you make an informed decision. For their full responses, visit this page.

What do the polls say?

Survation prediction: Liberal Democrat gain

James Heappey's resignation has set the stage for a new contest in the Wells and Mendip Hills constituency. Local rival Tessa Munt, who represented the Wells seat from 2010 to 2015 and continues to serve on Somerset Council, is once again in the spotlight.

An initial YouGov poll suggested a Conservative hold, with support from the Mendip Hills villages balancing out the Liberal Democrats' strong presence in Wells and the surrounding southern villages. However, Survation now predicts a Liberal Democrat gain, with Tessa Munt projected to win by five percentage points over Conservative candidate Meg Powell-Chandler.

Labour's Joe Joseph is expected to finish third, just two percentage points behind the Conservatives, while Reform UK candidate Helen Hims, who previously stood in 2015 for UKIP, is predicted to come in a distant fourth.

Election results

Residents in the Wells and Mendip Hills constituency can expect a late night on 4 July as they await the results of the general election. Polling stations across the UK will open from 7am to 10pm, with many voters already having opted for postal ballots.

Once voting concludes at 10pm, volunteers will transport ballot boxes to counting venues for meticulous verification and counting before results are officially declared. Anticipated around 3:30am, the Wells and Mendip Hills constituency will announce its results at the Royal Bath and West Showground in Evercreech, near Shepton Mallet, where the Liberal Democrats secured a notable by-election victory. Please note, these timings are approximate and subject to potential changes due to verification processes or recounts.