London (CNN) There's an eerie sense of calm in Britain this Thursday.

After weeks of bitter name-calling, raucous political debate and media saturation of the UK general election, the airwaves are oddly serene owing to strict rules about what broadcasters can and cannot say on election day.

As millions of voters trudge to polling stations in schools, church halls and even country inns, top television and radio news programs are filled with the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake and the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan.

Apart from a few camera shots of leaders like Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron and Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg coming out of polling stations after casting their vote, it seems like the frenzied six-week election campaign never happened.

In the UK, television and radio shows are forbidden from discussing campaign issues, talking about polls or dissecting individual candidates until the polls close at 10 p.m. (5 p.m. ET). However, the regulations are subject to all sorts of apparent contradictions and loopholes, particularly since newspapers are not under their purview.

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