Eastleigh by-election in 3 weeks

With only a couple of weeks until the Eastleigh by-election, residents have only a few days to make sure they can vote or that they can vote by post.

A Council spokesperson said: "You must be on the electoral register if you want to vote and the deadline to do this is Wednesday 13 February.

"If you have recently moved to the area, or moved house it is important to make sure that you register at your new address."

If you would like to vote by post, you can pick up a postal application form from the Council's Civic Offices in Leigh Road or the Town Centre Office in Eastleigh.

You can also download a form from the Council's website visit www.eastleigh.gov.uk

The Tories unveiled their candidate for the Eastleigh by-election tonight as the party geared up for a brutal battle with its Liberal Democrat coalition partners.

Maria Hutchings will make a fresh bid to snatch the seat after ex-cabinet minister Chris Huhne, whom she narrowly failed to topple in 2010, quit after admitting dodging a speeding penalty.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg urged voters not to exact retribution for his former leadership rival's disgrace as the party formally moved the writ in the Commons for a February 28 poll.

It was a busy day for the Liberal Democrat party. Heated phone calls between disgraced former MP Chris Huhne and his ex-wife - over those speeding points - were released by a court.

Vicky Pryce says her husband pressured her into saying she was the driver when their car was caught breaking the speed limit. She's appearing at Southwark Crown Court where she denies perverting the course of justice.

This week, Chris Huhne changed his plea to guilty and resigned as Eastleigh MP, and today the date for the by-election was confirmed. It will be in three weeks time. Here's our Political Correspondent Phil Hornby.

The Liberal Democrats' chief whip Alistair Carmichael has triggered the Eastleigh by-election in Parliament. He 'moved the writ' for the constituency of former Cabinet Minister Chris Huhne in the House of Commons this morning.

Huhne resigned as Eastleigh MP after pleading guilty in a court case over whether his ex-wife had taken speeding points on his behalf.

The by-election to find a new MP for the constituency in Hampshire will take place on Thursday 28th February,

The Eastleigh by-election has been formally triggered in the House of Commons following the resignation earlier this week of Chris Huhne, the constituency's former MP.

The election will take place on 28th February 2013.