Nicosia: Voter turnout in Cyprus' 2026 parliamentary elections reached 12.8% countrywide by 10 a.m., marking an increase of 2.5 percentage points compared to the same time during the 2021 parliamentary elections, according to Chief Returning Officer Elikkos Elia on Sunday. This figure, however, represents a decrease of 1.1 percentage points when compared to the 2024 European Parliament elections.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Elia confirmed that the electoral process for electing members of the House of Representatives and the Representative of the Maronite Religious Group was proceeding smoothly, with complete order and calm at all polling stations.
Detailed district-wise data showed that voter turnout in Nicosia was 14.5%, an increase from 9.3% in the 2021 parliamentary elections, but slightly lower than the 17.1% recorded in the 2024 elections. Limassol saw a turnout of 10.8%, up from 10.2% in 2021. Famagusta recorded a turnout of 14.3%, which is higher than the 12.1% in 2021 but lower than the 20.1% in 2024. Larnaca's turnout was 13.1%, while Paphos recorded 11.6%, both reflecting slight changes from previous elections. Overseas turnout stood at 4.2%, showing a decline from 5.8% in 2021.
Polling stations in Belgium and the United Kingdom opened at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Cyprus time, respectively, with operating hours adjusted to local times and including scheduled breaks.
The 'Digital Citizen' application for voter identification was functioning smoothly, though minor issues were reported with some voters unfamiliar with the digital ID process. These issues were resolved promptly.
Elia addressed complaints about SMS messages sent to voters recommending specific candidates, confirming that these complaints were forwarded to the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection. Additionally, Elia noted that some elderly voters faced confusion regarding changes to their polling stations and urged the use of online tools to verify polling locations, appealing to relatives and caregivers for assistance.