The UK is gearing up to hold a general election on Thursday.

These national votes, to choose a government to run the country, are supposed to be held every five years.

But this would be the third since 2015.

What is this election for?

A total of 650 people will be chosen as members of Parliament (MPs), to decide laws and policies.

Skip members of Parliament (MPs) Members of Parliament are elected by voters to represent the interests of their constituency in the House of Commons. Most belong to a political party, but some do stand as independents. There are 650 MPs in the House. End of members of Parliament (MPs)

MPs are elected to the House of Commons, one of two chambers of Parliament in London, where the government is based.

The government passes laws that help it run the country. This compares with local governments which deal with issues such as bin collections and schools in each area.

How does voting work?

In a general election, the UK's 46 million voters are invited to choose an MP for their area - one of 650 constituencies.

Anyone aged 18 or over can vote, as long as they are registered and a British citizen or qualifying citizen of the Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland.

Older people are more likely than younger ones to vote. At the 2017 general election, 59% of 20- to 24-year-olds voted, compared with 77% of 60- to 69-year-olds.

However, about two-thirds of the more than 3.1 million people who registered to vote between the election being called and the registration deadline were under the age of 35, with more than a million of them under 25.

Voting takes place at local polling stations, set up in places such as churches and school halls. Voters put a cross on the ballot paper beside the name of their chosen candidate and drop it into a sealed ballot box.

Who can stand for Parliament?

Most people over 18 on polling day can stand as a candidate - as long as they are a British citizen or a qualifying Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland citizen resident in the UK.

They must also pay a £500 deposit, which will be lost if they do not get at least 5% of the votes in their constituency.

Candidates must meet certain conditions - prisoners, civil servants, judges and members of the police and armed forces cannot stand.

A total of 3,322 candidates are standing across the 650 seats this year.

There are 91 Davids standing for election - the most popular name among the candidates - while the first female name on the list is Sarah in 18th place. There are 22 candidates with that first name standing.

How are the winners chosen?

The candidate with the most votes in each constituency is elected, even if they are chosen by less than half the electorate in their seat.

Most MPs represent a political party but some stand for election as independent candidates.

Any party with more than half the MPs (326) in the Commons usually forms the government. Parties with well below 50% of the national vote can take power as a result of the UK's voting system.

Skip UK's voting system The UK uses a first past the post voting system. It means a local candidate who receives the most votes wins – and the party with the most winning candidates forms a government. So the overall number of votes parties get nationally does not have any bearing on who wins the election. End of UK's voting system

If no party has a majority of MPs, the one with the most can form a coalition - or partnership - with one or more other parties to gain control.

The prime minister is not directly voted for by the public. He or she is chosen by the winning party's MPs and appointed by the Queen, who is duty bound to follow their advice.

Skip the Queen The Queen is the UK’s head of state, although she is not in charge of the government. Elizabeth II is the country’s longest-serving monarch, having ascended to the throne in 1952. She performs state duties, which include formally opening Parliament, representing the country at events such as the annual Remembrance Day parade, and making official visits overseas. She is also head of the armed forces and Church of England. End of the Queen

What are the big issues at this election?

Detailed proposals for everything from the economy to defence and policing are set out before any general election in manifestos.

Skip manifestos A manifesto is basically a brochure containing all of a party's ideas and policies. Manifestos are usually published during the general election campaign. If a party wins the election, it is often judged by how many of its manifesto promises it manages to deliver as a government. End of manifestos

These come from the UK's political parties - groups of people with similar political beliefs who come together to try to win power.

The issues UK voters care most about have changed a lot, according to the polls.

The National Health Service (NHS) and immigration were the things that most concerned voters in 2015.

Skip National Health Service (NHS) The National Health Service (NHS), which started in 1948, is the government-funded national healthcare service that provides free diagnosis and treatment for UK citizens. End of National Health Service (NHS)

The European Union (EU) was of far less interest.

Skip European Union (EU) European Union: the political and economic union of 28 member states, which the UK is planning to leave. End of European Union (EU)

Now, however, Brexit - the UK's departure from the EU - is a huge issue.

Skip Brexit Short for British exit - refers to the UK leaving the European Union. End of Brexit

What happened at the last election, in 2017?

Neither the Conservative or Labour parties had enough votes to form a majority government after the 2017 election.

Skip Labour The Labour Party was founded by the trade union movement in 1900 to give workers a voice in Parliament. It believes in the redistribution of wealth and opportunity, greater rights for working people and strong, state-run public services. End of Labour

The Conservatives were the bigger of the two parties and formed a partnership with the Democratic Unionist Party DUP in order to win votes in the Commons.

Skip DUP The Democratic Unionist Party was founded in 1971, during the time of conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles. As unionists, the DUP support Northern Ireland being part of the UK and are known for their socially conservative beliefs on abortion and same-sex marriage. After the 2017 election, DUP MPs helped keep the Conservatives in power by agreeing to support them in Commons votes. End of DUP

Since the election, the Conservatives and Labour have both lost MPs, while the Liberal Democrats have made gains.

Skip Liberal Democrats Often called the Lib Dems, the Liberal Democrats were formed in 1988 by the merger of one of Britain's oldest political institutions, the Liberal Party, which stood for free trade and individual liberty, and the Social Democratic Party, a centrist offshoot of the Labour Party. The party likes to see itself as being on the centre ground of British politics. End of Liberal Democrats

Parliament's second chamber is the House of Lords.

Skip House of Lords The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament. It is independent from the House of Commons but shares with it the role of making laws, while it also checks the government’s work. Members are given a title, such as Lord, are not elected, do not represent constituencies and most do not belong to any party. End of House of Lords

Its members are not elected but are appointed by the Queen, on the prime minister's advice.

When do we find out the result?

On general election day, voting takes place between 07:00 and 22:00. The results are declared through the night and the following day.

When the overall result is known, the leader of the winning party, if there is one, visits Buckingham Palace to ask the Queen for permission to form a new government.

Once they have that, which is a formality, they return to the traditional home of the prime minister 10 Downing Street.

Skip 10 Downing Street This terraced house is the official residence and office of the UK prime minister. End of 10 Downing Street

Often they will stand outside to deliver a speech about their party's plans for the coming years.