Polling began on Thursday in the United Kingdom in one of the closest general elections seen in decades with voters set to decide between the Conservatives of Prime Minister David Cameron, Ed Miliband's Labour and other smaller parties.
Electoral workers put up a sign in the window of a building being used as a polling station in Doncaster, northern England. Photograph: Darren Staples/ Reuters
Polls opened at around 50,000 polling stations across the UK. A total of 650 Westminster MPs will be elected, with about 50 million people registered to vote.
As well as the general election, there are more than 9,000 council seats being contested across 279 English local authorities.
The polling booths opened at 07.00 am (local time) and will go on till 10.00 pm (local time).
Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband leaves after voting with his wife Justine in Doncaster, northern England, Britain. Photograph: Darren Staples/ Reuters
Mayors will also be elected in Bedford, Copeland, Leicester, Mansfield, Middlesbrough and Torbay.
For the first time, people have been able to register to vote online.
Most polling stations are in schools, community centres and parish halls, a launderette and a school bus will also be used.
Nicola Sturgeon, the leader of the Scottish National Party, waves after voting in Broomhouse, Scotland, Britain. Photograph: Russell Cheyne/ Reuters
A handful of seats are expected to be declared by midnight, with the final results expected on Friday afternoon, BBC reported.
The British Parliament is made up of 650 seats -- 533 constituencies in England, 59 in Scotland, 40 in Wales and 18 in Northern Ireland -- with 326 required for a majority.
In the last elections in 2010, which threw up a hung parliament, the Tories had 307 and Labour 258.
Nigel Farage, leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party, gestures as he arrives to vote at his polling station in Ramsgate, southeast England. Photograph: Suzanne Plunkett/ Reuters
This time poll pundits are predicting an even more protracted period of discussions as no party is expected to command a clear majority following the results.
Barring tight results and numerous recounts, seats in Northumberland, Warwick and Cornwall are likely to be the last to declare early on Friday.
Prominent among the Indian-origin candidates are some long-serving MPs like Labour's Keith Vaz, whose Leicester East seat looks pretty safe this time as well. His sister Valerie Vaz is defending her Walsall South seat.
Natalie Bennett (C), the leader of the Green Party arrives to vote at a polling station in London, Britain. Photograph: Phil Noble/ Reuters
Historically, certain constituencies have a history of being won by the party that goes on to form the next government.
They are known as bellwethers in reference to the old practice of putting a bell round the neck of a ram so that its ringing would reveal the whereabouts of the flock of sheep that followed him.
