Overseas Bahrainis head to electoral booths today

Bahrain’s 2018 Election Executive Committee said the polls for Bahrainis abroad will be held today in 29 embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions. The ballot boxes will be open from 8 am until 8 pm according to local time of each city where the embassy, consulate or diplomatic mission is located. In the case of second rounds, a poll will be held on, November 27.

The committee said that in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Kingdom’s diplomatic missions abroad, it has completed all preparations to ensure the citizens easily exercise their constitutional right to voting. Registered voters have the right to vote abroad on Election Day.

The citizen’s participation will be indicated on their passport and entered into the system to ensure the right is availed only once. The committee said all registered voters are entitled under the Kingdom’s constitution to choose their parliamentary representative or MP. The Kingdom has been holding parliamentary and municipal elections regularly every four years since 2002 following the end of a political hiatus through constitutional changes that gave women the right to vote and run in elections.

In the last elections in 2014, independents won 37 of the 40 seats in a massive blow to political groups. In 2010, only 17 independents were elected. Despite various challenges in the region, all the elections were held without delays in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.