Ramallah — Polling stations opened their doors at 7:00 AM on Saturday to receive approximately 1.03 million Palestinians electing their representatives across 183 local authorities.
اضافة اعلان
The Chairman of the Central Elections Commission (CEC), Rami Hamdallah, announced the commencement of the 2026 local elections in the West Bank and the city of Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to the press after casting his vote in the town of Anabta, Tulkarm Governorate, Hamdallah urged Palestinians to head to polling stations and exercise their right to choose their representatives with freedom and responsibility. He emphasized the importance of broad participation as a reflection of civic awareness and commitment to democratic practice despite ongoing challenges, stressing the need to ensure the success of this national day.
Election Logistics and Figures
Voters are casting their ballots at 491 centers housing 1,922 polling stations. Voting will continue until 7:00 PM on Saturday. The elections encompass:
90 Municipal Councils: Including Deir al-Balah, where 321 electoral lists featuring 3,773 candidates are competing.
93 Village Councils: With 1,358 candidates vying for seats.
The CEC is scheduled to hold a press conference later today to provide details on the electoral process and address media inquiries. Participation rates will be announced every three hours throughout the day.
The New Electoral System
The 2026 local elections are being conducted under the new Elections Law issued on November 19, 2025, which introduced two distinct systems:
Proportional Representation (Open List): For municipal councils. Voters mark their choice for one electoral list and then select 5 specific candidates from within that same list.
Majority System (Individual Candidacy): For village councils. Voters select five individual candidates directly from the names appearing on the ballot paper.
Counting and Results
The sorting and counting of votes will take place within the polling stations themselves, in the presence of observers, electoral list agents, and journalists. Results will be documented in a report posted on the station doors before being consolidated at the Central Data Entry Center.
The Central Elections Commission will hold a press conference on Sunday to announce the final results, including the number of votes and seats won by each list, the names of the winners, and final participation rates. These results are subject to appeal before the Elections Court within one week of their announcement.
(Source: Wafa)
