The 27 April 2011 by-elections are considered to be a prelude to the parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for April 2012 and December 2012, respectively. The poll will fill 26 positions, including three seats in the National Assembly; six provincial administrative chiefs; and 17 local councilors. The diversity of political office and the geographic spread will provide an indication of voting patterns in the electorate and will in itself influence ongoing preparations for 2012. The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) is basing its campaign on the electorate’s willingness to deliver a judgement on the Lee Myung-Bak administration. The Grand National Party (GNP) is running a more localized campaign, with candidates in the primaries seeking to demonstrate ties to the ruling party as facilitative to representation of the electorate. Official candidate applications must be submitted to the National Election Commission (NEC) during 12-13 April, after which the official campaign will begin and a clearer picture of candidates’ policy preferences may emerge.