Voting underway as Kuwaitis choose their future

Manama: Kuwait’s polling stations opened at 8am, on time for the 400,296 registered voters to cast their ballots and elect 50 representatives to the parliament.

The elections are the third to be held under the five-constituency system introduced in 2006 and the fourth in which women are allowed to vote and run.

Elections officials said that 543 polling stations have been set up throughout the country to allow the 215,300 women and the 184,996 men to elect their representatives from the 287 candidates, including 23 women.

The Third Constituency tops the list with 67 candidates, followed by the First Constituency with 62, the Second Constituency with 61, the Fourth Constituency with 49 and the Fifth Constituency with 48.

Under Kuwait’s election rules, a voter can choose up to four candidates in the secret balloting.

Polling stations are scheduled to close at 8 pm and results will be announced at least four hours later.