Bahrain reports record turnout in parliamentary and municipal elections

High number of candidates in Saturday's vote has led to run-offs in many districts

Voters queue outside a polling station on Muharraq island. Bahrainis will choose from more than 500 candidates, including 94 women, in elections to the 40-seat lower house of parliament and the municipality council. All photos: AFP

Bahraini poll clerks prepare to receive voters at a polling station on the island of Muharraq, north of the capital Manama, during parliamentary elections, on November 12, 2022. - More than 330 candidates, including a record 73 women, are competing to join the 40-seat council of representatives, the lower house of parliament that advises King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, who has ruled since his father died in March 1999. (Photo by AFP)

Clerks prepare ballot boxes at a polling station on the island of Muharraq, north of Manama.

More than 344,000 Bahrainis are eligible to vote in the elections.

Men arrive to vote at a polling station on the Bahraini island of Muharraq.

Bahraini women register to vote at a polling station on the island of Muharraq, north of the capital Manama, during parliamentary elections, on November 12, 2022. - More than 330 candidates, including a record 73 women, are competing to join the 40-seat council of representatives, the lower house of parliament that advises King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, who has ruled since his father died in March 1999. (Photo by AFP)

On Saturday, Bahrainis voted for both parliament and municipal authorities.

Bahrainis first voted 20 years ago and the Citizens for Bahrain website said women and young people are casting their votes in increasing numbers.

While Bahrainis vote on Saturday, citizens overseas voted on Tuesday, and election officials say polling abroad is up on the figures from 2018.

Bahrainis are voting for a parliament that will include eight new faces. Fawzia Zainal, who was elected Bahrain’s first female parliament speaker in 2018, is among seven MPs who are not seeking re-election, while one MP was barred from contesting.

Bahraini voters at a polling station on the island of Muharraq. A decision to double the rate of VAT is a contentious one at this election.

Voter turnout in 2018 was 67 per cent, the highest level since Bahrain became a constitutional monarchy in 2002. Surveys suggest the turnout on Saturday could be as high as 70 per cent.

Bahrain confirmed a 73 per cent record voter turnout in its biggest parliamentary election yet on Saturday, in which more than 500 candidates vied for the 40-seat National Assembly and 30-seat municipal council.

The high number of candidates led to a need for run-offs in many electoral districts, with only six candidates able to win outright by getting more than 50 per cent of votes.

The second round of voting between the two highest-polling candidates in 34 districts will be held next Saturday.

The next parliament could include 10 women, up from six currently, as incumbent Zainab Abdelamir was among the six candidates who won outright, while nine other women will be contesting the run-offs.

Eight incumbents, including three women, lost their seats during the first round of voting on Saturday.

“The electoral process went smoothly and witnessed a high turnout, and there were no problems in the organisation, especially since Bahrain has accumulated experiences and competencies in the field of organising elections,” said Nawaf Hamza, chairman of Bahrain’s high elections committee.

Bahraini poll clerks prepare to receive voters at a polling station on the island of Muharraq, north of the capital Manama. AFP

Election saboteurs targeted official websites in Bahrain just hours before the start of a parliamentary election, the Interior Ministry said. The ministry did not identify the websites targeted, but the state-run Bahrain News Agency and the website for Bahrain’s Parliament could not be reached online.

“Hackers attempted to sabotage our elections but it was a very weak attempt and thankfully it did not affect any of the electoral process," Justice Minister Nawaf Al Maawda told reporters. "The Bahraini citizen is politically conscious enough to go ahead with the vote and the huge voter turnout is proof of that.”

The participation level in Saturday's vote was the highest in the country’s history since Bahrain became a constitutional monarchy in 2002. Voter turnout in 2018 was 67 per cent.

“Although we are still considered a young democracy, there is a high level of enthusiasm among Bahrainis towards the elections and this is reflected through the high number of candidates,” Mohammed Al Sayed, a founding member of the Citizens for Bahrain website, told The National.

Mr Al Sayed said there was a higher number of candidates in opposition-leaning constituencies, where many stayed away from the elections in 2014 and 2018.

A key issue in this election was VAT, after Bahraini legislators approved a bill last year to double the tax from 5 per cent to 10 per cent, with many of those who voted in favour facing a backlash from their constituents.