Monday 22 March 2010

Uk Election countdown

So after months of speculation we finally have the date of the Uk general election!
This seemed like a good time to launch the Elections in the news blog which will cover key sites and useful resources for tracing elections online, as well as highlighting the way in which the web is changing politial communication. The aim is to cover a range of key presidential and parliamentary elections worldwide beginning wih the Uk. The main contributions are from Heather Dawson, who is based in the LSE Library and has for many years worked as an editor on Intute

As a starting point we consider the election timetable.
Earlier this year the House of Commons parliamentary library published a useful research note on the Dissolution of parliament which sets out the procedure. It also produced a detailed illustrative schedule of events.
If you are looking for a briefer listing The BBC also has a useful timetable to the election which sets out key dates and events as does ePOLITIX

Finally for information on electoral law and registration the best starting point is the Electoral Commission. They also issued a draft timetable earlier this year. The main website has regulations and guidance for candidates and officials which set out the procedures for organising an election in the UK