UK general elections 2017: Tight security as voters go to the polls

London, June 8: Voters go to the polls on Thursday amid heightened security in what the National Police Chiefs Council says are unprecedented times.

Election planners and police reviewed security plans after both the Manchester terror attack two weeks ago, in which 22 people were murdered by a suicide bomber and the London Bridge atrocity last weekend in which eight people were killed.

Millions of people across the UK are set to vote in the general election on Thursday where the ruling Conservatives are predicted to secure an overall majority despite an energetic bid for power by the opposition Labour Party, the media reported.

Voting will begin at 7 am local time in over 40,000 polling stations across the country. Counting will start once the voting ends at 10 pm.

Some votes have already been cast, through postal voting. A handful of seats will be declared by Thursday midnight, with the final results expected on Friday afternoon.

To form a majority in the House of Commons, one party must win 326 seats.

On Wednesday, the last day of election campaigning, Prime Minister Theresa May said that 'she was feeling good and used her final push to pitch for what she termed as fiercely patriotic voters across Labour Party strongholds, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and the north-east, reports the Guardian.

During a 48-hour tour of places in marginal constituencies such as Fleetwood, Bradford, Stoke, Southampton and Nottingham, she also made clear that she wanted people to vote in defiance of the terror attacks.

May also stressed to voters that there were only 11 days until the Brexit negotiations start, saying the final choice was between her or Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Corbyn, attended six rallies, starting at Glasgow, Scotland at 8 a.m. and ending in Islington, London with a speech at 9 pm, where he claimed that Labour's anti-austerity message was the new centre ground of British politics.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron urged supporters to send a message to May on issues such as Brexit and social care by supporting his party.

Campaigning in Edinburgh, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said re-electing Scottish National Party MPs would ensure Scotland retained a strong voicein Westminster and deny the Conservatives a crushing majority.

At their final election rally, the Green Party called on people to vote with their hearts.

Visiting Great Yarmouth, UK Independence Party leader Paul Nuttall said only his party could keep the pressure on the next government to deliver a real Brexit with lower immigration, exclusive fishing rights for British trawlers within UK territorial waters and no divorce bill.