With the UK heading back to the polls on December 12, we have taken a look at what has happened in recent votes in Poole.

How many constituencies are there?

There are three parliamentary constituencies which are in or cross over into Poole: Bournemouth West, Mid Dorset and North Poole, and Poole. They all elected Conservative MPs - Conor Burns, Michael Tomlinson and Robert Syms - in the last general election, held in June 2017.

What happened in the last elections?

The Conservatives took the largest share of the vote – 57.0% in total, ahead of Labour with 26.1% and the Lib Dems with 14.5%.

This contrasted with the picture in the European Parliament elections this May, the most recent occasion on which the country went to the polls, when the Brexit Party took 42.0% of the vote in Poole's local authority area, the largest share.

The Lib Dems finished second, with 21.3%, and the Greens third with 15.1%.

The South West – the EU consituency in which Poole lies – returned three Brexit Party MEPs, two Liberal Democrat and one Green to Brussels in May.

Bournemouth Echo:

Are people in Poole actually voting?

Turnout was, however, much lower in those elections – while 67.3% of the electorate came out to vote across the three constituencies in 2017, just 35.9% did in the local authority for the European Parliament elections this year.

What about Brexit?

Well, many commentators think that a decision between leaving and remaining in the European Union will form the basis for many voters’ choices in polling booths this year, rather than traditional party lines.

The Brexit referendum in 2016 brought more voters to the polls across the UK than any referendum or general election in 24 years. In Poole, 75.4% of the electorate voted, with a majority in favour of leaving the EU, with 58.2% of the vote.

The EU Referendum result in Poole in June 2016

Remain: 35,741 (41.8%) Leave: 49,707 (58.2%)

The vote share for the top three parties in each constituency in June 2017

Bournemouth Echo:

Mid Dorset and North Poole

Conservative: 28,585 (59.2%) - Michael Tomlinson returned as MP

Liberal Democrats: 13,246 (27.5%)

Labour: 6,423 (13.3%)

Majority of 15,339 (31.8%)

Poole

Conservative: 28,888 (57.9%) - Robert Syms returned as MP

Labour: 14,679 (29.4%)

Liberal Democrats: 4,433 (8.9%)

Majority of 14,209 (28.5%)

Top three parties in Poole for the European Parliament in May

The Brexit Party: 42.0%

The Lib Dems: 21.3%

The Greens: 15.1%