How is a general election won?

The country is divided into 650 areas known as constituencies, or seats. Each seat is represented in the House of Commons by the person who has won the most votes in that area. If a political party wins more than half of the total number of seats, that party wins the election. If no party wins more than half of the seats, it is known as a hung parliament, and two or more parties may decide to form a coalition government. This means that they govern the country together.