TODAY, the country will go to the polls to vote in this unprecedented general election.

Here is a fun, at-a-glance guide to the prospective candidates in your constituency.

We have given each candidate six categories.

As well as party and age, they have rough scores for experience, local roots, odds and online friends or followers.

None of these are particularly scientific!

Experience is the number of years as an elected official in Essex – be it a parish councillor or an MP, Local roots is the number of years they have lived in or near their constituency, Odds are the latest from bookmaker Paddy Power, Online friends is the number of members, fans or friends on social media websites Facebook and Twitter.

We hope readers take the Election Trumps in the spirit they are designed - a bit of light-hearted fun before the election gets underway in earnest.