No, the BBC did not report that the U.K. General Election will be held over two days

Context

On July 4, the morning of the U.K. general election, false claims that the election would be held over two days due to an unprecedented increase in the number of registered voters started to flood Facebook (archived here, here, and here). The posts, which contain a graphic and format designed to impersonate a BBC news article, state that Labour, Liberal Democrats, and Green Party supporters should vote on July 4 as usual, while Conservative and Reform UK supporters should vote on July 5, as their votes would not count otherwise.

Although this claim is often presented as satire, it may be misleading for those unfamiliar with the voting process. Claims about election dates are a common misinformation tactic used to confuse voters and prevent them from casting their votes. Logically Facts has written an overview of the types of misinformation you should not fall for during Election Day in the U.K. Read it here. We have also published a piece about the leading U.K. election misinformation trends and narratives, which can be accessed here. 

In fact

The claim that the U.K. general election takes place over two days is false. Moreover, the screenshot purported to be from a BBC article is fake, as the outlet has not shared any news regarding a change in the election date. This is not the first time the BBC has been impersonated to disseminate misinformation (see here, here, and here). By fabricating articles that mimic the BBC's formatting, the BBC's credibility can be used to spread false claims. In a statement to Logically Facts, the BBC said: "This is a fake BBC News article."

In the U.K., general elections are held on a single day, traditionally a Thursday. In 2024, the U.K. general election takes place on Thursday, July 4, with voting permissible between 7 a.m. (06:00 GMT) and 10 p.m. (21:00 GMT). If you are in the queue outside a polling station at 10 p.m., you will still be allowed to vote, but if you arrive after 10 p.m., you will not be able to cast a ballot. 

Claiming that different parties have different election dates or that the election date has been moved is a disinformation tactic often used to cause confusion among voters, potentially depressing turnout. Such false claims can undermine the democratic process by creating uncertainty about the voting procedure, emphasizing the importance of verifying election information through official sources. The election is always held on the day stated by the Electoral Commission.

Although many groups sharing this false claim about U.K. elections taking place over two days have a history of posting satirical content, some of these posts find their way outside of those communities and could cause harm. When satire is taken out of context, it can confuse and mislead people unfamiliar with the humorous intent. While many of these posts have comments and reactions indicating that people understand the satire, others do not, potentially spreading misinformation among the general public. This can result in voter confusion and potentially impact the integrity of the election process. 

The verdict

The U.K. general election is held on Thursday, July 4, between 7 a.m. (06:00 GMT) and 10 p.m. (21:00 GMT). Voting is only permissible between those hours. Claims that the election date has been moved or changed are attempts to influence the voting outcome and are not based on fact.