LONDON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- British pound dropped on Thursday as voters cast their ballots in a general election dominated by Brexit, as it is unclear whether the Conservative Party could win a majority in parliament to deliver Brexit in January.

Ahead of the election, the pound rose on the bet that Conservative leader Boris Johnson would win the election with a majority in parliament so that Brexit can take place on Jan. 31, 2020 to end the uncertainties that have clouded the economy since the Brexit referendum in 2016.

However, the pound has kept a volatile and downward trend on Thursday, falling from the high of 1.3223 in morning trade to 1.3127 in late afternoon against the U.S. dollar, down by 0.52 percent. The currency was trading at 1.1817 against the euro, declining by 0.34 percent.

Market watchers said the most recent election polls give Johnson the lead, but it's unclear whether he will win a majority in parliament. It remains to be seen if Johnson's promise of "Get Brexit Done" resonates with voters.

"There's a long way down for the pound should Johnson come undone as his predecessors have done of late," said Bob Mason, an analyst with FX Empire, predicting a Conservative Party victory is likely to put the pound on 1.35 levels against the U.S. dollar.

The general election is the first December election since 1923 and was called in a bid to break the Brexit deadlock. After struggling to lead a minority administration, Johnson hopes to secure a majority government that will enable him to take Britain out of the bloc on Jan. 31.

A YouGov poll predicted just before the election that the Conservatives would win a majority of 28 in the House of Commons, as against a majority of 68 seats in its previous findings two weeks ago.

Britain's main national parties held vastly different stances on Brexit. Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn wanted to get another deal with the European Union (EU) and hold a referendum. The Liberal Democratic Party leader Jo Swinson said Brexit should be canceled, as any Brexit would be bad for jobs and for businesses.

Voting at a polling station in Westminster, retired lawyer Karolyn Cooper said she supported remaining in the EU. "Remaining in the EU is the best trade relationship and everything else we could have with the EU."

Counting will begin immediately after thousands of polling stations across Britain close at 10 p.m. on Thursday night. Most results will come out Friday. Enditem

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