A total of 7,500 new voters have been registered in the electoral rolls for the upcoming elections, Head of the Electoral Service Menelaos Vasiliou told CNA on Tuesday, adding that the number will increase even more and will surpass the 2023 presidential elections.
According to Vassiliou, the last day to register on the electoral roll, as well as to register to vote at polling stations abroad, is April 2, 2024, adding that the peculiarity of the June 9 elections lies in the fact that for the first time eight elections will be held simultaneously.
Specifically, elections will be held to elect members of the European Parliament, Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Municipal Councils, Community Council Presidents, members of Community Councils, Presidents of District Self-Government Organisations and members of School Boards.
All citizens of the Republic aged 18 years and over who have their habitual residence in Cyprus, as well as citizens of other EU Member States residing in Cyprus and registered in the relevant electo
ral rolls, have the right to vote in the forthcoming elections of Members of the European Parliament and the Local Authorities.
As regards the number of voters, there are special electoral rolls for Cypriots, Europeans and Turkish Cypriots.
“So far we have 569,086 registered voters of which 557,578 are on the permanent electoral roll i.e. Cypriots, which includes 735 Turkish Cypriots. We have the special electoral roll of European citizens residing in Cyprus for local government, which numbers 11,559 and the special electoral roll of Europeans for the European elections which numbers 9,190. We have the special roll for Turkish Cypriots residing in the occupied territories which currently numbers 82,925,” he said.
In the 2019 European Parliament elections, the number of Cypriot voters in Nicosia district was 274,453 and that of EU nationals was 3,025, a total of 277,478 with a 42.83% turnout.
In Limassol district, the number of Cypriot voters was 153,007 and EU nationals 1,489, totaling 154,496, with a tur
nout of 47.00%, In Larnaca there were 100,221 Cypriot voters and 1,358 EU voters, totaling 101,579, with a turnout of 48.38%.
In Pafos district, the number of Cypriot voters was 50,300, the number of EU nationals was 3,988, for a total of 54,288, with a turnout of 49.29%, while in Famagusta district, the number of Cypriot voters was 46,506, the number of EU nationals was 699, total 47,205, with a turnout of 36.63%.
The number of Cypriot voters abroad was 6,135, with a turnout of 62.54%.
In terms of polling stations, it is estimated that around 1,850 will be open, with polling stations expected to open abroad in Greece, England and Belgium.
Nominations will open for European elections on 24 April, on 25 April for municipal councils, Presidents of District Organisations and members of School Boards, and on 29 April for community councils.
The approved budget for election expenditure is pound 6,650,000.
The counting of votes will take place at local polling stations, with the first results expected to be a
nnounced one to one and a half hours after the polls close.
As announced, on April 12 the Minister of Home Affairs will issue decrees on the campaign conduct, the appointment of the Chief Returning Officer and the Deputy Chief Returning Officer, Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers, and the issuance of election warrants to the Chief Returning Officer and the Returning Officers.
On 19 April, notifications will be published by the Chief Returning Officer and Returning Officers setting the dates and places for the submission of nominations.
On 10 May, a decree of the Minister of Interior will be issued on the subdivision of electoral districts and the designation of polling stations.
On 31 May there will be a publication of a notification on the allocation of voters to polling stations.
Voting will take place on 9 June with the sorting and counting of votes.
On June 10, there will be a declaration of elected officials, and Election Warrants will be returned by the Chief Returning Officer and
the Returning Officers to the Minister of Interior.
Source: Cyprus News Agency