General election timetable 2019

A general election is to be held in the UK on Thursday 12 December 2019. This followed the passing of the Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019.

The general election timetable for 2019, below, is derived from the electoral timetable published by the Electoral Commission.

Election timetables for UK general and by-elections are laid down in the Parliamentary Elections Rules in Schedule 1 of the Representation of the People Act 1983, as subsequently amended, most recently in 2013.

Section 14 of the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 extended the length of the timetable for general elections from 17 to 25 days. This provision was brought into force on 6 April 2014 by the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (Commencement No 5 and Transitory Provisions) Order 2014.

For the purposes of the election timetable, weekends and bank holidays are disregarded. A bank holiday in one part of the UK is disregarded in the whole of the UK. The 2019 General Election campaign includes the St Andrew’s Day bank holiday in Scotland, on Monday 2 December.

Current information on election timetables is available in the Library briefing Election timetables.

Electoral registration deadlines are not contained in election timetables legislation. They are contained in separate registration regulations. There are separate sets of regulations for the three legal jurisdictions of the UK.

Bank holidays are also disregarded in computing deadlines for electoral registration. This meant that the Government had to bring forward a technical amendment to the Early Parliamentary General Election Bill during its passage in the House of Commons.

The St Andrew’s Day bank holiday in Scotland would have led to a different registration deadline in Scotland to the rest of the UK. The Government amendment ensured that the registration deadline is the same for the whole of the UK.

Applications to register to vote for the election must be made by midnight on Tuesday, 26 November 2019.

Day 0 Dissolution of Parliament just after midnight at the start of the day Wed 06/11/2019 Issue of writs Day 1 Receipt of writs Thurs 07/11/2019 Day 2 Fri 08/11/2019 Day 3 Last day for publication of notice of election (4pm) Mon 11/11/2019 Day 4 Tues 12/11/2019 Day 5 Wed 13/11/2019 Day 6 Deadline for candidates to deliver nomination papers or candidates to withdraw (4pm). Thurs 14/11/2019 Publication of statement of persons nominated - If no objections (by 5pm) Day 7 Publication of statement of persons nominated - If objections (by 4pm) Fri 15/11/2019 Day 8 Mon 18/11/2019 Day 9 Tues 19/11/2019 Day 10 Wed 20/11/2019 Day 11 Thurs 21/11/2019 Day 12 Fri 22/11/2019 Day 13 Mon 25/11/2019 Day 14 Deadline to register to vote (by midnight) Tues 26/11/2019 Deadline for new applications for a postal vote - includes a postal proxy vote (5pm) Also deadline for changing preference between existing proxy/postal vote (5pm) Day 15 Wed 27/11/2019 Day 16 Thurs 28/11/2019 Day 17 Fri 29/11/2019 Day 18 Tues 03/12/2019 Day 19 Deadline for new applications for a proxy vote (5pm) - After 5pm you may be able to apply for an emergency proxy in certain circumstances Wed 04/12/2019 Day 20 Thurs 05/12/2019 Day 21 First date that electors can apply for a replacement for lost postal votes Fri 06/12/2019 Day 22 Mon 09/12/2019 Day 23 Tues 10/12/2019 Day 24 Wed 11/12/2019 Day 25 Polling day (7am-10pm) Thurs 12/12/2019 Deadline for emergency proxy applications (5pm) - Emergency proxies are only available under certain circumstances and are not available on demand Deadline for re-issue of spoilt or lost postal votes (5pm)