Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt are battling over a dwindling number of Conservative voters

Politics Explained: The battle to succeed Theresa May could be over long before the last vote is cast

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Voting in the election of a new Conservative leader closes on 22 July. The new leader will be named on 23 July and will take over from Theresa May as prime minister the following day.

But that does not mean that Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt have another two weeks left to convince Conservative members to give them their votes.

Because of the way the postal ballot system works, it is quite possible that the bulk of votes will be cast over the next few days, leaving an ever-dwindling number of activists to woo.