VOTERS in St Helens will head to the polls today to elect their MP in the general election.

St Helens North will see a new Member of Parliament chosen in place of the departing Conor McGinn, while in St Helens South and Whiston, Labour MP Marie Rimmer is seeking to defend her seat.

Nationally, opinion polls state that Keir Starmer's party is expected to win a majority in the House of Commons, having held a consistently big lead over the Conservatives of around 20 percentage points.

Meanwhile, Reform UK have been hot on the Tories' heels, narrowly in third as the Star went to press, and the Liberal Democrats in fourth.

Where can I find the results?

In St Helens, the Labour candidates are the strong favourites to take both the St Helens North and St Helens South and Whiston seats, according to opinion polls and bookies' odds.

Readers can follow updates of the results as they come in during the early hours of Friday on the Star's website at sthelensstar.co.uk.

We will have a live blog running throughout the night as the results come in.

READ > Numbers registered to vote in St Helens ahead of general election

ID requirement

Voters are reminded this year is the first time in the UK that everybody wanting to vote in person at a general election will have to show a correct form of ID before casting a ballot.

Not all types of photo ID will be accepted at polling stations, but a passport, driving licence or blue badge are valid.

Other forms of permitted ID include an Older Person’s or Disabled Person’s Bus Pass, and an identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card).

Visit gov.uk/how-to-vote/photo-id-youll-need for more.

St Helens North candidates

Jayne Louise Rear - Conservative Party

Joe Greenhalgh - English Constitution Party, Independence for England

Daniel Thomas - Green Party

David Baines - Labour Party

Pat Moloney - Liberal Democrats

Malcolm Webster - Reform UK

St Helens South & Whiston candidates

Emma Ellison - Conservative Party

Terence Price - Green Party

James Tasker - Independent

Marie Rimmer - Labour Party

Brian Spencer - Liberal Democrats

Raymond Peters - Reform UK