function validate() {

  if (document.getElementById("request").owner_name.value == "" || document.getElementById("request").owner_name.value == null || !isNaN(document.getElementById("request").owner_name.value) || document.getElementById("request").owner_name.value.charAt(0) == ' '){
    alert('A valid e-mail address is required. \nPlease amend and try again.')
    document.getElementById('request').owner_name.focus();
    return false
  }


  validRegExp = /^[^@]+@[^@]+.[a-z]{2,}$/;
  if (document.getElementById("request").owner_name.value.search(validRegExp) == -1){
    alert('A valid e-mail address is required. \nPlease amend and try again.')
    document.getElementById('request').owner_name.focus();
    return false
  }

  if (document.getElementById("request").owner_name.value != document.getElementById("request").owner_name2.value){
    alert('The email addresses do not match.')
    document.getElementById('request').owner_name2.focus();
    return false;
  }



  if (document.getElementById("request").list_name.value == "") {
    alert("Please enter a name for the list.")
    document.getElementById('request').list_name.focus();
    return false
  }
  var fnlen = document.getElementById("request").list_name.value.length
  if (fnlen < 2 || fnlen >20) {
    alert('List names are 2-20 characters composed of letters, numbers and hypens.\nPlease try again.')
    document.getElementById('request').list_name.focus();
    return false
  }
  validRegExp2 = /^[a-zA-Z0-9\-]{2,}$/; 
  if (document.getElementById("request").list_name.value.search(validRegExp2) != 0) {
    alert('List names are 2-20 characters composed of letters, numbers and hypens.\nPlease try again.')
    document.getElementById('request').list_name.focus();
    return false
  } 


  if (document.getElementById("request").list_title.value == ""){
    alert("Please a title for your list.");
    document.getElementById('request').list_title.focus();
    return false;
  }
  if (document.getElementById("request").list_description.value == ""){
    alert("Please enter a description for your list.");
    document.getElementById('request').list_description.focus();
    return false;
  }

  document.getElementById("request").submit();
  return 1;
}