Polling stations for the parliamentary elections in all districts in areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus closed at 1800 local time (1500 GMT).
Chief Returning Officer Costas Constantinou announced that the turnout in the elections stood at 63.9% of the registered voters, which is a total of 356,682 voters. In the previous Parliamentary Elections of 2016, the final voter turnout was 66.7%.
Constantinou said that he was surprised that the turnout was so high, given the pandemic conditions and that the turnout has exceeded his expectations. As he said despite the COVID-19 pandemic the turnout was only 3% lower than the turnout in 2016 elections, which is “quite satisfactory”.
The total turnout was 71.9% in the Presidential Elections of 2018 and 42.8% in the European Parliament elections of 2019.
In Nicosia the turnout was 63.2% in relation to 65.5% in the 2016 Parliamentary Elections, 72.2% in the 2018 Presidential Elections and 49.2% in the 2019 European Parliament elections.
In Limassol, the turnout was 61% compared to 66.1% in the 2016 Parliamentary Elections, 70.4% in the 2018 Presidential Elections and 44.2% in the 2019 European Parliament elections.
In Famagusta the turnout was 73.1% in relation to 67.1% in the Parliamentary Elections of 2016, 72.6% in the Presidential Elections of 2018 and 48.3% in the 2019 European Parliament elections.
In Larnaca, the turnout was 64% in relation to 67.9% in the 2016 Parliamentary Elections, 72.4% in the 2018 Presidential Elections and 50.1% in the 2019 European Parliament elections.
In Pafos, the turnout was 70.3% in relation to 72.3% in the Parliamentary Elections of 2016, 73.8% in the Presidential Elections of 2018 and 48.3% in the 2019 European Parliament elections.
The voters turnout abroad was 61.9% in relation to 63% in the 2016 Parliamentary Elections, 71% in the 2018 Presidential Elections and 62.5% in the 2019 European Parliament elections.
“The voting process has ended and ballots have closed at the 1,150 polling stations in the Republic, the ten polling stations abroad, as well as the 16 polling stations which concern the election of the Maronite and Latin Religious Groups’ Representatives”, said the Chief Returning Officer.
He added that sorting and counting of votes now begins, followed by the counting of the crosses of preference, under the supervision of the presiding officers.
“As you are aware, the counting of votes will be carried out at the polling stations.An exception to this are the Central Prisons’ special ballots, which will be transferred so as to be added up to predetermined ballots per electoral constituency, as well as the ballots of the special mobile polling stations for citizens who are COVID-19 cases, which will be merged together, as well as with other predetermined ballots for counting at predetermined locations”, he added.
Moreover, he noted, the ballots of North London will be added up to two ballots at the High Commission in London.
CNA
