THOUSANDS of people will be heading to the polls today in what is the first December election since 1923.

After six weeks of campaigning and hundreds of leaflets delivered, parliamentary candidates have now less than 24 hours before finding out who will represent residents in Westminster.

This year’s general election is the third national vote in five years and for many it will be a Brexit election.

But in Southampton there also seem to be other issues that could determine how people will vote today.

Police, the NHS, adult social care, climate emergency and housing also seemed to be at the forefront of voters’ mind.

Over the past weeks the city has seen the visit of senior politicians including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

It comes as the Southampton Itchen seat is one of the most marginal across the country and the constituency is seen as one of the places where the election could be won or lost.

As previously reported, in 2017 Conservative Royston Smith beat Labour Simon Letts by 31 votes.

This year the two are ready for a re-match as they are standing again.

Also standing as candidates for Southampton Itchen are Liberal Democrat Liz Jarvis, Green Party candidate Osman Sen-Chadun and UKIP candidate Kim Rose.

Meanwhile, Labour Alan Whitehead will try to retain the Southampton Test seat, one he first won in 1997. This year he is standing against Conservative city councillor Steven Galton, Liberal Democrat Joe Richards, Green Party candidate Katherine Barbour, Independent Kev Barry and Brexit Party candidate Philip Crook.

The final election poll released yesterday suggested that across the country the Conservatives are still heading for a majority, but the race has tightened.

Pollsters YouGov suggested Boris Johnson will head for a majority of 28, putting the Tories on course to win 339 seats. This is down from the 68 seat majority predicted just two weeks ago.

Labour are on course to win 231 seats, the SNP would win 41 seats and the Liberal Democrats would win 15 seats, according to the poll.

The YouGov poll interviewed more than 100,000 panelists about their 2019 voting intentions. Polling stations will close at 10pm and the results are expected to be announced in the early hours of Friday.