clean up python file moving script based on xml elements

I'm not real experienced with XML in python so I'll just stick to coding style and such.
I would do things like putting code in methods:

def get_parsed_args():
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Archive old election data')

    parser.add_argument('-d', action='store', dest='directory', help='main directory for files (optional, assumes current directory if blank and always assumes subdirectories of "current" and "archived")')

    parser.add_argument('-t', action='store', dest='type', help='input type, and enum of one of the following: files, date, specialid')

    parser.add_argument('-l', action='append', dest='dlist', default=[], help='list of the data type given above, although if the type is "date" this will only use the first parameter')
    return parser.parse_args()

parsed_args = get_parsed_args()

Just on a minimum it would help with the whole global variables that you seem to need so many.

Name things in a more explicit form for example the

for f in files:

isn't as easy to understand as say

for file in files:

or

for current_file in files:

and if they were in their own function you wouldn't need worry about the other variables in different scopes.

also:

print "Archiving file: " + f
shutil.move(curdir+f, arcdir+f)

is used in three place. I'm a fan of the rule of three. (if you use it three or more times then refactor it.)

Just as a note if you had a sample xml it would be easier to understand the presented code. EDIT:-
so after looking at this again I realised you could

1. extension is used like a constant so it should be EXTENSION (probably same with valid_types ) This is a coding style issue
2. I would do a with open(curdir + f) as xml_doc: data = etree.parse AFAIK thats how you should open files. always.
3. I would name f as current_file (or curfile if you wish). Coding style issue.

EDIT2:- found iterparse which is supposed to be quicker.

with open(curdir + current_file) as xml_doc:                               
            context = etree.iterparse(xml_doc,tag="special")                       

the following has all the changes I made. (command: ./mycode.py -t=specialid -l 12345 123456 123 )

#!/usr/bin/python                                                                  
import argparse                                                                    
import sys                                                                         
import os                                                                          
import shutil                                                                      
from lxml import etree                                                             

def get_parsed_args():                                                             
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Archive old data')               

    parser.add_argument('-d', required=False, action='store', dest='directory', help='main director
y for files (optional, assumes current directory if blank and always assumes subdir
ectories of "current" and "archived")')                                            

    parser.add_argument('-t',  required=True, action='store', dest='type', help='input type, and en
um of one of the following: files, date, specialid')                               

    parser.add_argument('-l', required=True, nargs='+', dest='dlist', default=[], help='list
 of the data type given above, although if the type is "date" this will only use th
e first parameter')                                                                

    return parser.parse_args()                                                     

def get_directory(results):                                                        
    tempdir = ""                                                                   
    if results.directory:                                                          
        tempdir = results.directory                                                
        if len(tempdir) > 0 and directory[-1] != "/":                              
            tempdir = tempdir + "/"                                                
    return tempdir + "current/", tempdir + "archived/"                             

def archive_file(fname, cdir, adir):                                               
    print "Archiving file: " + fname                                               
    shutil.move(cdir+fname, adir+fname)                                            

results = get_parsed_args()                                                        
valid_types = ['files','date','specialid']                                         

curdir, arcdir = get_directory(results)                                            

EXTENSION = ".xml"                                                                 

#check that the directory has current/archived folders in it                       
if not(os.path.exists(curdir)) or not(os.path.exists(arcdir)):                     
    print "Error: Missing current or archived folder in directory path"            
    sys.exit(0)                                                                    

if not(results.type) or not(results.type in valid_types):                          
    print "Error: Invalid or empty type parameter, quitting program"               
    sys.exit(0)                                                                    

dtype = results.type                                                               

if len(results.dlist) <= 0:                                                        
    print "Error: No list of values given, quitting program"                       
    sys.exit(0)                                                                    

#date should just take the first value, all others will take the list of objects   
if dtype == "date":                                                                
    dlist = results.dlist[0]                                                       
else:                                                                              
    dlist = results.dlist                                                          

if dtype == "files":                                                               
    for f in dlist:                                                                
        print f                                                                    
        if os.path.exists(curdir + f):                                             
            archive_file(f, curdir, arcdir)                                        
else:                                                                              
    files = [file for file in os.listdir(curdir) if file.lower().endswith(EXTENSION
)]                                                                                 
    for current_file in files:                                                     
        print "Checking file: " + current_file                                     
        context = None                                                                

        with open(curdir + current_file) as xml_doc:                               
            context= etree.iterparse(xml_doc, tag="special")                                  

            if context == None:                                                           
                next                      

            for action, element in context:                                       
                if dtype == "specialid":                                               
                    if element.get("id") in dlist:                                     
                        archive_file(current_file, curdir, arcdir)                     
                elif dtype == "date":                                                  
                    for date_element in element.iter("date"):                          
                        if date_element.text > dlist:                                  
                            archive_file(current_file, curdir, arcdir)                 
                        break # first Date only                                        
                break# first special only