THERE'S another election going on this week -- and its creating more tension than the real one!

Hodgson High School Technology College is holding its own mock election with four Year 10 students chosen to represent the main parties.

The candidates, along with their team of supporters, have planned their own campaign, written manifestos and displayed posters around the school.

The four have addressed all students in every year group in assemblies over the last few weeks.

Last month saw the school's first opinion poll. Surprisingly enough, this mirrored almost exactly national figures. The school is using its hi-tech computer network to publish these figures to students on a regular basis.

The campaign hasl run alongside the real one day by day. Will the country follow the pattern that Hodgson students predict? We will have to wait and see!

The mock election has been organised by Anthony Lord, co-head of PSHE (Personal, Social, and Health Education), who said: "We consider that pundits are predicting that this General Election might feature the lowest voter turn-out ever. We need students to understand that politics is about them. Students are trying to put into their election the fun that adults seem to have taken away."