Over 7,000 candidates vie for 3,227 seats in June 9 polls

In preparation for the June 9, 2024 elections in Cyprus, Chief Returning Officer Dr. Elikkos Elia announced on Tuesday a significant level of candidate interest and voter eligibility. The nomination process, which concluded on Monday, saw a total of 7,280 candidates vying for 3,227 positions across various electoral bodies, including the European Parliament and local government entities. Among the eligible voters, numbering 706,534, are Cypriot nationals as well as Turkish Cypriots with Republic of Cyprus IDs residing in government-controlled areas.

Of the eligible voters, 568,608 are registered in the permanent electoral roll, with an additional 21,640 European citizens eligible for local government elections and 13,017 for European Parliament elections. Notably, 103,269 Turkish Cypriots holding Republic of Cyprus IDs, and residing in areas outside of government-controlled regions, are included in the special electoral roll for European elections. Additionally, 4,691 voters from various locations including Greece, the United Kingdom, and Brussels have submitted declarations to participate in the European Parliament elections.

The extensive list of positions up for election includes European Parliament seats, district organization presidents, mayors, deputy mayors, municipal councilors, school board members, and community council members. Dr. Elia emphasized that all ballot papers will be cast into the same ballot box, differentiated by color according to the type of election. Furthermore, starting May 1, 2024, citizens can access the "Ti Psifizo" (What I Vote for) electronic service on the elections.gov.cy website to determine their voting rights and the number of preference crosses. On May 10, 2024, the "Where Do I Vote" service will launch, assisting voters in locating their designated polling stations.