With Theresa May announcing a plan to call a general election on 8th June due to a ‘national interest’ we asked our Snapchat followers if they had any questions or concerns about the upcoming elections. Read more to find the top questions answered:

1. What is a snap election?

A snap election is an election called earlier than expected. The next general election was planned to take place in 2020.

2. What is the election for?

An election is an opportunity for you to choose an MP from one of the running political parties in your local area. The party that acquires the most MPs around the country, by a majority vote, becomes the elected party and the leader of that party then becomes PM.

3. How do I register to vote?

Getting on the electoral register is pretty simple, you can register online here

4. Where can I vote?

You can vote in person, by post or by proxy which means if you fall ill or are unable to get to a polling station you can choose someone you trust to vote on your behalf. You need to apply for a proxy vote and provide a reason.

5. What does the early general election mean for Brexit?

This doesn’t necessarily mean that Brexit won’t happen. Theresa May has said ‘The country is coming together, but Westminster is not’. It is said that Theresa May blames divisions in Parliament over Brexit as her catalyst for the decision of calling a snap election. You can read more on this, here.

6. What are the parties I can vote for?

The UK has many political parties, some of which are represented in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Click on each party to find out more.

• Conservative Party
• Co-operative Party
• Democratic Unionist Party
• Green Party
• Labour Party
• Liberal Democrats
• Plaid Cymru
• Scottish National Party
• Sinn Féin
• Social Democratic and Labour Party
• UK Independence Party
• Ulster Unionist Party

7. What does left and right wing mean?

Left and right wing beliefs are what people believe a country should do for its citizens.

Left wing beliefs are usually progressive in nature, they look for the future, aim to support those who cannot support themselves and believe in equality. People who are left wing believe in things like a national health service, job seekers allowance and equality over the freedom to fail. In the UK the main left-wing parties are the Labour Party and the Green Party as they believe in making laws that protect women, ethnic minorities and gay people against discrimination.

Right wing beliefs value tradition, they are about equity, survival of the fittest and they believe in economic freedom. They typically believe that businesses shouldn’t be regulated and that we should all look after ourselves. Right wing people tend to believe they shouldn’t have to look after some else’s education or health service. They believe in freedom to succeed over equality. In the UK, the main right wing parties are the Conservative (or Tory) Party and UKIP. They believe if you have more money, you should get to keep it and buy better education and health services for yourself.

8. What address do I use to register my vote, home or university?

Students may be entitled to register at both their home and university address, but can only vote once to the same elected chamber or position. For example, you may be registered to vote in two different London Boroughs. You can vote in each borough election as they are elections to two separate town halls, but at the London Mayor and Assembly election, you can only vote once as they are elections for the same body or post.

9. How will it affect students growing up into the world the adults are going to leave?

This all depends on which party wins. Although no-one can be certain what will happen or which party will win, you can find about what might happen by reading into party policies.

10. I’m about to turn 18, do I register to vote before or after my birthday?

When you turn 16 you are able to register to vote, make sure you do so before 8th June! Click hereto register to vote. To find out more about registering click here.