RAMALLAH, April 24, 2026 (WAFA) – The Central Elections Commission (CEC) announced on Friday finalizing all preparations and arrangements necessary for polling and counting day of the 2026 Local Elections, scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, in the West Bank and concurrently in the city of Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip.
The CEC clarified that polling centers will open their doors at 7:00 AM in the local authorities involved in the elections, to receive over a million eligible voters, males and females, who will vote until 7:00 PM.
The CEC stressed that casting ballots is done in person and that voters have to bring along their IDs to be able to cast their ballots, inviting the electorate to try to visit their polling centers as early as possible and avoid the rush hours in the afternoon, which usually witness crowdedness.
The CEC indicated that voting in municipal councils can be performed by adding (√) inside the box to the right of only one electoral list, followed by selecting up to 5 candidates, males and females, from the same list. Meanwhile, in village councils, voters can select up to 5 candidates whose names appear on the ballot paper, emphasizing that voting guarantees polling confidentiality. Therefore, it is forbidden to have mobiles while voting. Additionally, the CEC decided not to use electoral ink in the West Bank.
The CEC pointed out a series of special procedures for illiterate citizens and citizens with disabilities by allowing them to bring along a companion of their choosing to help fill out their ballot papers. The CEC further mentioned allocating persons with mobility disabilities and the elderly to polling stations on the ground floors, as well as adopting special measures for facilitating the work of journalists, observers, and agents.
The CEC said that a press conference will be convened on Saturday morning to announce all details related to the electoral process and to respond to journalists’ inquiries, as well as the intent to regularly announce the polling turnout rate in each of the local authorities involved in polling, once every 3 hours.
Such data will be published on the display screens at the Media Center and circulated to the media and accredited journalists, as well as the CEC’s website and social media platforms.
Regarding the counting and tabulation process, the CEC clarified that the process will take place inside the polling stations attended by interested observers, journalists, and agents of electoral lists and candidates, followed by documenting the results using the counting protocol that will be displayed at the station’s door. The votes received from the polling centers will be compiled at the central data entry center.
The CEC confirmed that it will convene another press conference on Sunday, April 26, 2026, to announce the preliminary results of the 2026 Local Elections, including the number of votes and seats acquired by each list, and the names of winners in each local authority. In addition, the final turnout rate for polling at a general and local authority level will be announced, and results will be published on the CEC website, which will be appealable before the Elections Cases Court within a week.
The CEC emphasized the importance of following up on the developments of the electoral process and acquiring up-to-date information regularly through its website (www.elections.ps) and its official social media platforms.
K.F.
