The Latest | The UK goes to the polls in a national election with results expected early Friday

Voters in the U.K. are casting their ballots in a national election to choose the 650 lawmakers who will sit in Parliament for the next five years. Outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak surprised his own party on May 22 when he called the election, which could have taken place as late as January 2025. Polls opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 10 p.m. on Thursday night. An exit poll commissioned by the main U.K. broadcasters will be published as soon as the polls close, giving an indication of the likely result. Counting will begin immediately but most of the results will only be announced in the early hours of Friday.