CRI听力:Polling Starts for the 2015 UK General Election

A local polling station in northwest London. Polling station opens their doors for the 2015 UK general election at 7 am on Thursday, May 7, 2015. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/Duan Xuelian]

Around 50,000 polling stations across the UK opened their doors on Thursday morning for the 2015 general election.

CRI's London Correspondent Duan Xuelian finds out more.

Polling Starts for the 2015 UK General Election

About 50 million people registered to vote for this year's UK general election. In a polling station in northwest London's West Hampstead, polling staffer Mary Mackie has welcomed a steady stream of locals.

"We seem to be very busy as people are dropping by before they go to work. Excuse me Sir have you got your poll card? "

The poll stations opened at 7 am and will close at 10 pm. The last election, in 2010, saw a remarkably low turnout of 65%. So this time round, to encourage people to vote, the Electoral Committee has introduced an online register. For Londoner Louise Harland, voting is an important way of voicing her concerns as a citizen, and Labour is her choice.

"I think they have a fairer approach to give everyone a chance. And I also think it is important that we stay in the European Union. So I decided to vote for a party that wasn't going to have referendum."

And for fellow citizen Steven Garford, Conservative seems to be the only realistic choice to lead the UK towards a better future. But he is uncertain of how the result will influence the UK's political system as the race between the Conservative and Labor parties is too close to call. He is not too optimistic about the prospect of a minority government.

"I think it will be awful. Everybody will be doing deals over this or that. And I share the widely held opinion that the Scottish National Party are not a responsible organization because they are only interested in scamming as much money out of London as they can."

According to the BBC, voting results from several constituencies will be declared with the final result expected on Friday afternoon.