With the UK heading back to the polls on December 12, we have taken a look at what has happened in recent votes in Christchurch.
What's gone on before?
Christchurch overlaps with just one parliamentary constituency, with the same name as the local authority.
In the last general election, held in June 2017, it elected a Conservative MP, Sir Chris Chope, with 69.6% of the vote – ahead of Labour with 19.9% and the Lib Dems with 7.9%.
This contrasted with the picture in the European Parliament elections this May, the most recent occasion on which the country went to the polls, when the Brexit Party took 42.0% of the vote in Christchurch's local authority area, the largest share.
The Lib Dems finished second, with 21.3%, and the Greens third with 15.1%.
The South West – the EU consituency in which Christchurch lies – returned three Brexit Party MEPs, two Liberal Democrat and one Green to Brussels in May.
Do people get out and vote in Christchurch?
Turnout was, however, much lower in those elections – while 72.0% of the electorate came out to vote across the Christchurch constituency in 2017, just 35.9% did in the local authority for the European Parliament elections this year.
Both those turnouts, however, were beaten by that for the referendum on the topic which will dominate December’s general election: Brexit.
Many commentators think that a decision between leaving and remaining in the European Union will form the basis for many voters’ choices in polling booths this year, rather than traditional party lines.
And Brexit?
The Brexit referendum in 2016 brought more voters to the polls across the UK than any referendum or general election in 24 years.
In Christchurch, 79.3% of the electorate voted, with a majority in favour of leaving the EU, with 58.8% of the vote.
The EU Referendum result in Christchurch in June 2016
Remain: 12,782 (41.2%) Leave: 18,268 (58.8%)
The vote share for the top three parties in the Christchurch constituency in June 2017
Conservative: 35,230 votes (69.6%)
Labour: 10,059 (19.9%)
Liberal Democrats: 4,020 (7.9%)
The top three parties in Christchurch for the European Parliament in May
The Brexit Party: 42.0%
The Lib Dems: 21.3%
The Greens: 15.1%
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