The snap vote, called by Prime Minister Boris Johnson after he lost his majority in Parliament, is Britain's first December poll since 1923 but its third election in less than five years.
It follows a six-week campaign which has seen all of the major parties criss-cross the country in search of votes. Issues including the Brexit, Britain's National Health Service (NHS), taxes and social care have dominated discussions.
Johnson, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and heads of all of Britain's other major parties are expected to make appearances at their own local polling stations before voting closes at 10 p.m. on Thursday night.
With temperatures just a few digits above freezing and downpours on the forecast in parts of the country, parties will be hoping their supporters are not deterred from making the trip to their polling stations.
Around 46 million Brits are eligible to vote in the election.
They are casting their ballots for candidates in 650 separate constituencies, with a majority of 326 needed for a party to be sure of forming a majority government.
The last election, in 2017, produced a hung Parliament in which no party reached that threshold.
News outlets are barred from reporting anything that could influence voters while polls are open. An exit poll from British broadcasters will project the seat totals as soon as polls shut at 10 p.m., and counting will take place throughout the night and into Friday morning.
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