Candidates register for polls in Makkah, Madinah

Candidates in Makkah and Madinah, Saudi Arabia began to register for the Dec. 12 municipal elections on Sunday, despite a noticeably low voter registration.  The registration of candidates in the two holy cities will continue for 17 days while it will begin in other cities of the Kingdom on Aug. 30.  Voter registration in the […]

Candidates in Makkah and Madinah, Saudi Arabia began to register for the Dec. 12 municipal elections on Sunday, despite a noticeably low voter registration.
 The registration of candidates in the two holy cities will continue for 17 days while it will begin in other cities of the Kingdom on Aug. 30.
 Voter registration in the two holy cities began on Aug. 15, a week ahead of the other regions where it began on Aug. 22 and will continue for 21 days.
 Makkah Mayor Osama Al-Bar, who is the chairman of the local elections committee, said the final lists of voters will be announced on Nov. 9 while the final lists of candidates contesting the elections will be announced 10 days later.
 So far 699 voters (529 men and 170 women) have registered in Makkah. In Madinah, only 195 men and women have so far registered.
The committee attributed the low turnout to school reopening.