U.K. Election: Voters Hope To Decide Brexit's Fate And Their Country's Future

Voters in the United Kingdom head to the polls Thursday for a crucial election that could determine the country's future, and how and when it will break off from the European Union.

This will be the fifth major vote in the country in less than five years — including two previous general elections, European Parliament elections and the Brexit referendum — a sign of how chaotic British politics have become.

The stakes are high, voters are weary and the two main candidates for prime minister are especially polarizing.

Here are some key details to understand before Thursday's vote.

Why is the U.K. having yet another election?

Because after more than three years, the government hasn't resolved Brexit, its biggest challenge in. The Brexit vote split the nation and paralyzed Parliament. After becoming prime minister this summer, Boris Johnson tried and failed to pass his Brexit withdrawal agreement. So he called a snap election to try to win a majority in Parliament to get his Brexit deal through. Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, who had , approved three times this year but failed. If he can win parliamentary approval, Johnson hopes to take the U.K. out of the EU by the end of January.