At stake in this election:

• 13 seats in the Legislative Council

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II *
• Head of Government: Premier Michael MISICK
• Assembly: Turks and Caicos Islands has a unicameral Legislative Council with 19 seats.

* The Queen is represented by Governor Richard TAUWHARE

Description of electoral system:

• The Queen is the hereditary head of state.
• The Premier is appointed by the monarch to serve a 4-year term.
• In the Legislative Council, 13 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms and 3 members are appointed to serve 4-year terms.***

*** In the Legislative Council, 13 members are elected by simple majority in single-member constituencies and 3 members are appointed by the governor, the government, and the opposition. The remaining 3 seats are reserved for the Speaker of the House, the Chief Secretary, and the Attorney General. All members serve 4-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Progressive National Party
• Party: People's Democratic Movement

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 44,819 (July 2010 est.)