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12:01am, Thu 22 May 2014 Voters cast ballots in EU and council elections - last updated Thu 22 May 2014 The Union Jack pictured behind the European Union flag in London. Photo: Tim Ireland/PA

The European election will be held this Thursday giving British voters the chance to decide who will represent them in Brussels and Strasbourg.

Apart from the General Election - which will be held next year - it is the only time all 46 million eligible voters in the UK can take part in a ballot.

But how does the voting system work? How many MEPs will Britain elect? And what happened at the last European election?

Here is a helpful guide that answers all of the key questions on the European election.

You have to be a British citizen or a European Union or Commonwealth resident in the UK to be able to vote in the election.

If you are a British citizen abroad you can vote in European and General Elections for up to 15 years after you have left the country.

To be able to vote in the European election you must be registered and the deadline for registering has now passed. The deadlines for voting by post or by proxy have also passed.

The local council usually sends a registration form to most people living in the UK between September and November every year.

You can vote in the 22 May election by going to your nearest polling station - which is often a community centre or school. Your polling card will have the location of the nearest station.

Read more:
All you need to know about the 2014 European election