LONDON, May 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Britons went to vote on Thursday morning as 46,000 polling stations across the country opened for ballot.

    The general election will decide which party (or coalition of parties) forms the next government. Some 45 million voters across the country will elect altogether 646 members of parliament (MP) for the House of Commons, or the lower house - the seat number is down from the current 659 because of changes to constituency boundaries.

    The candidate who wins more votes than any rival in his/her constituency, not a majority of votes cast, will be the MP from the constituency. Leader of the party that wins the majority seatsin the parliament will be named by the Queen as prime minister andis charged with forming the cabinet.

    Both the prime minister and the MPs then enjoy a tenure of fiveyears. But the former has the power to ask the Queen to dissolve the parliament within the frame of his tenure and have an election.Normally the election takes place four years into the tenure.

    According to the British Law, a citizen should be registered tovote. He or she should be at least 18-years-old on polling day, a British or a Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland citizen living inBritain.

    The following are barred from voting in general elections: members of the House of Lords; convicted prisoners; anybody found guilty of election corruption within the last five years; people with learning disabilities or a mental illness who are incapable of making a reasoned judgment.

    Voting is not compulsory. But those failing to return a completed registration form or giving false information can be fined up to 1,000 pounds.

    Candidates must be aged 21 or above and be British, Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland citizen. Those banned for standing in general elections are: bankrupts; civil servants; police officers; armed forces personnel; government-nominated directors of commercial companies; judges; members of parliament in non-Commonwealth nations; those convicted of electoral malpractice; members of the House of Lords.

    To be a candidate, one needs to have a nomination form signed by 10 voters from that constituency. The papers must be returned with a 500-pound deposit. Candidates do not need to be a member ofa political party. The main parties have their own selection methods, usually involving central lists of candidates and votes of local members.

    Each candidate has to account for their election expenses after the poll. Political parties and candidates raise funds in a variety of ways from subscriptions to local fetes and dinners.

    After the announcement of the polling results, the Queen will preside over the opening ceremony of the new parliament and announce the governing policies of the new cabinet. Enditem