Do you do politics?

A UK general election must take place by 3 June 2010 and in order to vote, you must be registered.  But will your vote really make a difference this time?

Today, an exclusive Channel 4 News/YouGov poll revealed that the Conservative Party saw its lead cut to just two points in 60 key marginal seats, suggesting we could be heading for a hung parliament. What does that mean, though?

A hung parliament is one that has no party in the House of Commons enjoying an overall majority, meaning that the chosen government will not be able to win votes to pass laws without the support of members of other parties.

Even if The Conservatives win, with the new House of Commons only containing 650 MPs, 3266 would be needed for a majority. According to the BBC, in the simplest terms, the Labour Party will lose its absolute majority if it loses 24 seats and the Conservatives will gain an absolute majority if it gains 116 seats. Any result in between will result in a hung parliament.

So, yes, your vote will really count this time! But in order to vote, you need to be on the electoral register. You’re not automatically registered and must renew your details every year. Even being a council tax payer doesn't mean you'll be automatically on the electoral roll.

So who can register to vote?

If you’re 16 years old or over, and a British, Irish, Commonwealth or EU citizen, you can register to vote. If you’re 16 or 17, you can register now but you’re not allowed to vote until you’re 18. For more information about registering and to read an easy-read guide to voting, visit the Directgov website.

If you have questions or opinions on this year's General Election, why not post them on Exmouth People and see if you can get some conversation going?