Green Party

How the election works

The elections for the European Parliament on 4th June are different from General or Council elections because MEPs are elected by proportional representation.

This means that smaller parties, provided their level of support goes above a certain level, can win seats.

Each region of the UK holds a separate election and the number of seats per region varies.

The North West has 8 MEPs, and the seats are given out with eight separate rounds of counting. The minimum vote needed for a party to win a seat is around 8%.

This short animated film shows how the votes are counted and how this means the Greens and BNP are likely to be in a straight battle for the final seat.

 

How to vote

Voting is very straightforward. You simply place your cross by the name of the party you support.

A sample ballot paper for the North West, produced by Make Votes Count, is shown on the right, and you can see a larger version by clicking on the image.

• Polling stations will be open until 10 pm on 4th June.
• A polling card will be delivered by post, but you don't need the card to vote, just give your name and address at the polling station.
• Your polling station is normally a school, community centre or church hall near your home.
• The polling card has details of the polling station. If you lose it, you can call your local council who will tell you where to vote.
• Put your postcode into the Electoral Commission site to find contact details for the council officers running the European elections in your area.

 

More information

Make Votes Count has produced an informative website answering lots of questions about using your vote to make a difference in the European elections.

The Electoral Commission also has information in a range of languages about all aspects of the election.