Nicosia: Voter turnout in Cyprus' 2026 parliamentary elections showed a marked increase by midday, with 32.3% of registered voters casting their ballots by 1200 local time, up by 6.3 percentage points compared with the corresponding time during the 2021 parliamentary elections, when turnout stood at 26%. Polling stations at all 1,212 voting centres operating across the Republic of Cyprus, as well as in Athens and Thessaloniki in Greece, closed temporarily at noon and voting is due to resume at 1300 local time.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Chief Returning Officer Elikkos Elia stated that the electoral process had been proceeding smoothly up to midday without any significant problems. At district level, the largest increase compared with the 2021 parliamentary elections was recorded in Nicosia, where turnout reached 36.1%, compared with 23.4% in the previous parliamentary vote. The figure is approaching the level recorded during the 2023 presidential election, when turnout at the same stage stood at 37%, while remaining slightly below the 36.5% recorded during the 2024 European Parliament elections.
In Limassol, turnout by noon reached 26.5%, compared with 25.1% in 2021, although it remained considerably below the 30.4% recorded in both the 2023 presidential election and the 2024 elections. In Famagusta district, turnout stood at 33.7%, up from 31.7% in the 2021 parliamentary elections and close to the 34% recorded in the 2023 presidential election, but still below the 39.8% registered in the 2024 elections.
Larnaca recorded turnout of 33.2%, compared with 27.9% in 2021, marginally exceeding the 33% registered during the 2023 presidential election, but remaining lower than the 35.2% recorded in 2024. Paphos was the only district to record a decline compared with the 2021 parliamentary elections, with turnout standing at 32.2%, down from 32.7%. The figure also remained below the 34.2% recorded in the 2023 presidential election and the 40% recorded in 2024.
Among overseas voters, turnout reached 19.1%, slightly up from 18.2% in 2021 and marginally higher than the corresponding figures for 2023 and 2024, which stood at 18.9% and 18.8%, respectively. Countrywide, the 32.3% turnout recorded by noon was close to the 33.7% seen during the 2023 presidential election and above the 30.3% recorded in the 2024 elections.
Asked about the significant increase in turnout, particularly in Nicosia, Elias said it was too early to draw firm conclusions before polling stations close. He noted that the 2021 parliamentary elections had taken place during the COVID-19 pandemic and also referred to the high abstention rate recorded at the time. He said part of the abstention rate may have reflected voters residing abroad permanently and therefore unable to vote in countries or cities where polling centres were not operating.
Regarding the conduct of the election process, Elias said only a limited number of issues had been reported, mainly involving complaints over SMS messages and social media posts. He added that these issues were being examined and that consultations were under way with Personal Data Protection Commissioner Maria Christofidou regarding the SMS-related complaints.