Voting and taking part in politics

Sixteen practice questions on how elections work in practice and how residents take part in political life. The main government set asks who may vote and how MPs are chosen; this one follows a voter from registration to the ballot box, and then looks at the other side — standing for election and campaigning.

The first part is practical. You register once, online on gov.uk or on a paper form, and again only if you move or change your name or nationality. Polling stations open from 7am to 10pm, and the poll card tells you where to go but is not needed to vote. Since the Elections Act 2022, voters must show photo ID in person at UK Parliament elections, local elections in England and police and crime commissioner elections — but not at Scottish Parliament or Senedd elections — and anyone without accepted ID can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. Postal votes in Great Britain need no reason; a proxy votes on your behalf; the ballot is secret, and there is no online voting.

The second part covers taking part beyond voting: the voting age of 16 for Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections, who may not sit in the House of Commons while in their job, the candidate's deposit of £500 and when it is returned, by-elections, what a pressure group is, and legitimate ways to take part, from joining a party to watching debates from the public gallery.

Some of these rules are newer than older study guides, and some are still changing — the government has announced plans to lower the voting age for UK Parliament elections to 16 — so questions never depend on a rule that is in dispute, and the explanations point you to gov.uk for the current position. The formats match the real test: single answer, choose two, and "which statement is true?", each with an explanation of the wrong options. This is quiz practice only; the test itself is 24 questions on a computer, with no feedback. Questions and explanations are Zestly's own, written from gov.uk guidance; nothing is reproduced from the handbook.

• Explain how to register to vote and when you must register again
• Describe polling day, the poll card, postal votes and proxy votes
• State when photo ID is needed at a polling station and how to get a free Voter Authority Certificate
• Name who may not stand for the House of Commons and how the candidate's deposit works
• Describe by-elections, pressure groups and lawful ways of taking part in politics

Practice material written by Zestly from public information on gov.uk, nhs.uk and legislation.gov.uk (Open Government Licence v3.0). Nothing is reproduced from the handbook 'Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents'.