Registration of Voters Commences in the West Bank and Gaza

Today, the CEC announced the commencement of voter registration in the districts of the West Bank including Jerusalem and Gaza until next Monday.

In a press conference held in Gaza today, Dr. Hanna Nasir CEC Chairman announced that the CEC has opened 373 registration centers in the West Bank and 256 in Gaza urging unregistered voters to exercise their right by participating in the registration process.

 

Dr. Nasir added that the number of registered voters in the West Bank and Gaza now stands at 1,565,832, i.e. 68.5% of the total number of eligible voters. This percentage varies between the West Bank and Gaza. In the West Bank it stands at 73% whereas in Gaza this percentage decreased from 84% in 2007 to 62% due to CEC’s inability to update the voter registry for six years.

According to the estimates of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, there is currently 720,229 unregistered voters’ nationwide, 388 thousand of which in the West Bank and 332 In Gaza. The highest registration turnout was in Tulkarem district (91.5%) whereas the lowest was in North Gaza district (59%).

The registration process will target voters who turned 17 years old as well as unregistered voters and those who wish to update their registration data.

It should be indicated that the CEC has launched a voter education campaign in the last few days and accredited more than 6000 local observer and a number of international observers as well as 950 journalists who will be covering the work of the registration centers which will be opened from 9:00 am till 4:00 pm for a week.

Following the end of registration, the CEC will need 4-6 weeks to finish data entry of new registrants and prepare the final voters list which will be ready for any upcoming elections.