Badea Abu Al-Naja Saudi Gazette MAKKAH — The registration of voters for the third municipal elections will begin in Makkah on Sunday, according to Mayor Osama Albar, who is the chairman of the province's local committee for elections. He said the registration of candidates who will contest the elections will begin on Aug. 30. Albar said the General Committee for the Elections has agreed to advance the registration of voters in Makkah due to the holy city's special circumstances stemming from the large number of people coming for the annual Haj. Albar said the registration will continue until Sept. 14. In other parts of the Kingdom, the registration process will begin only on Aug. 30. Albar said there will be 40 polling centers in Makkah — 26 of them for men and 14 for women. "In addition, there will be two centers for men and one center for women in Jamoum and one center for men and another for women each in Madrakah and Asfan," he said. "The polling centers have been carefully chosen and well prepared. They have been supplied with all necessary equipment and staff.They are easily accessible and have spacious car parks," he said. Albar said all preparations have been completed for the elections in which women will participate for the first time as candidates and voters. "We have distributed booklets and pamphlets in important malls and shopping centers and erected billboards along major roads to enlighten the citizens about the importance of the upcoming elections," he said. Albar said Makkah will this time have 10 constituencies, instead of eight in the last elections in 2011. The voting will take place on Dec. 12 and the results will be announced the next day.
