Elections 2022 FAQs

Yes! Ultimately, not voting only hurts Lebanon, and supports the current establishment. Click here to learn more.

If you turned 21 before March 31st, 2022, then you are eligible to vote in these elections. You can find your allocated polling location here.

If you are voting from abroad, then you will vote on either Friday, May 6th OR Sunday May 8th. If you are voting from a GCC country (excluding UAE) then you will vote on Friday, May 6th. If you are voting from countries where Sunday is a weekend (including UAE), then you will vote on May 8th.

If you are in Lebanon, then you will vote on Sunday, May 15th.

If you live in Lebanon and are over the age of 21 you are automatically registered to vote. Your electoral district and caza can be found on your Lebanese identity card. This will help you locate where you will be voting. Based on your district and caza you can locate your polling stations here . On the day of elections, Sunday May 15th, you will head to that polling station with your Lebanese ID (hawiye), or valid Lebanese passport.

The Journey of the Ballots

At the polling stations:

All 598 Polling stations around the world are monitored via surveillance cameras and monitoring devices that are directly connected to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ HQ in Lebanon

Once polling stations close, and in the presence of delegates and ambassadors (or representatives), ballot boxes are opened in order to count the ballots. (Note: individual ballots are not opened - only envelopes are counted.)

Once the count is complete, the polling station staff proceed to record the end-of-day report (ma7dar) which includes: the total number of registrants in the district; number of voters in the day; number of unused ballots; number of unused envelopes; number of discarded ballots; and the recorded breaches and violations that happened during the day.

Two copies of these reports are created and signed by all polling station staff, as well as by the delegates present in the room. One copy is sent with all ballots to Lebanon, and another is kept at the embassy.

Once these reports are ready, all ballots are placed in large bags that are sealed with red wax. These bags are put in the emptied ballot box, along with all unused ballots and envelopes, as well as the signed report. This box is then locked using zip ties, and sealed again in red wax.

From the polling stations to the airports

Once boxes from all polling stations are sealed, they are sent to the local embassy/consulate where they are kept until morning, at which time they will be handed to DHL.

The embassy and polling station staff monitor the sealed boxes, at all times, until they are handed off to DHL.

Each sealed box is placed in an opaque fabric bag (diplomatic pouches) with tracking devices attached to them.

All tracking devices are monitored by teams supporting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

DHL does not send diplomatic pouches on passenger flights — only cargo flights.

From the airport to Banque du Liban (BDL)

As soon as the ballot boxes arrive at the airport, they are transferred to BDL in the presence of the General Director of the Expatriates from the MoFA, and the General Director of Political Affairs and Refugees, from the Ministry of the Interior.

Ballot boxes are safely kept in a locked safe in BDL until Sunday, 15th of May (elections day in Lebanon)

From the BDL to the Higher Registration Committee (هيئة القيد العليا)

On the day of elections, ballot boxes are transferred from BDL to the Higher Registration Committee in Beirut, and are opened and counted as part of their electoral districts.

Ballots are NOT sent to polling stations across Lebanon - they are opened, sorted, and counted IN Beirut.

The staff ensures that the number of ballots in each of the sealed boxes matches the number reported by their respective embassy and polling station staff, across the world.

If there are any discrepancies in the reported numbers, then the committee will liaise with the diplomatic missions abroad in order to validate the count.

From counting to sorting, representatives from LADE, various delegates, and MoFA volunteers, all monitor the entire process.

If you live abroad and you received a confirmation email after registering to vote through the official website in October/November, then you should be ready to vote at the nearest embassy, consulate or polling station near you. This will be based on the address of residence you provided in your registration. You can locate the nearest polling station on this website.

You can find polling station information here.

That’s ok!

You can find polling station information here.

You will want to bring your Hawiye ID OR a Valid Lebanese Passport (blue). If you are voting from abroad, then you can pay around $10 on the day of voting to validate your passport for voting purposes. This option is not available in Lebanon, unfortunately. We also suggest taking your ikhraj keyd, just in case – it’s better to have more documents than too few if possible.

Regardless of whether you are voting abroad or in Lebanon, your vote counts towards the electoral district of your Caza, which can be found on your Hawiye ID.

You can find electoral lists and candidates here.

Your ballot will be in Arabic, with photos of each candidate. You can find a good, detailed explanation of the ballot here.
Even if you don’t speak Arabic, as long as you memorize ONE candidate’s name/image on the list you wish to vote for, that will be enough to identify the correct information on the list.

Your ballot will be in Arabic, with photos of each candidate. You can find a good, detailed explanation of the ballot here.Even if you don’t speak Arabic, as long as you memorize ONE candidate’s name/image on the list you wish to vote for, that will be enough to identify the correct information on the list.

Once you arrive at your designated polling station you will be handed the ballot. Ballots will not be handed out prior to election day.

Both! You will vote for ONE full list that is running in your electoral district. It is NOT possible to pick-and-choose among lists -- you can only vote for ONE complete list. From that list, you can then choose ONE preferred candidate who represents your Caza. You cannot vote for a preferred candidate on the list if they are not from your Caza.

For example: if you are from Chouf, then your electoral district is Mount Lebanon 4. Chouf is combined with Aley to create this electoral district. When you vote, you will select one list that represents all of Mount Lebanon 4 (Aley and Chouf). But then when you choose your preferred candidate, you MUST select someone from Chouf, since that is where you are from in this example. Not every electoral district combines multiple cazas, but I wanted to make sure that was clear in case yours does.

You can find alternative lists and candidates here.

You will select ONE list to vote for from your electoral district. You can find electoral lists for alternative parties in your district here.

Yes, the preferred candidate you choose must be from your same Caza. You cannot select a candidate from a different Caza, even if they are running in the same electoral district. You do NOT need to select a candidate from your same religious sect, however.

No, you can choose a candidate from any sect, as long as they are from your Caza.

No, you can only select a candidate who is running on the same electoral list that you select to vote for.

Ultimately, voting blank only hurts Lebanon, and supports the current establishment. Here is a video explaining why.

Ultimately, boycotting the elections only hurts Lebanon, and supports the current establishment. Here is a video explaining why.

If you are voting from abroad, then you can pay around $10 on the day of voting to validate your passport for the day. This option is not available in Lebanon, unfortunately.

Find some friends to go with you, and turn it into a road trip, or a fun weekend! Lebanon needs your support!

No, you can only use a Hawiye, or a valid passport to vote. If you are voting from abroad, then you can pay around $10 on the day of voting to validate your passport for the day. This option is not available in Lebanon, unfortunately.

No, voting by proxy is not available.

No, voting by mail is not an option.

No, voting online is not possible.

If your marriage was registered in Lebanon, then you will vote in your husband’s electoral district, even if you have not updated your ID and documents.

We do suggest taking a copy of your marriage certificate if your documents are not updated, but your marriage was registered in Lebanon.

21 is the legal voting age. If you turned 21 BEFORE March 31, 2022, then you are eligible to vote in these elections.

During the voting process, yes. When you arrive at the polling station, your ID card will be verified. Once that is done, you will be handed a ballot paper and an envelope. After filling out your ballot paper, you will place the the ballot paper in the envelope and drop it in the ballot box. After the voting process is completed, the polling station will open the ballot box and count the ballot papers in the presence of an ambassador, consul, and/or official observers.

There will be polling station officers at polling stations to verify voters’ identities and to assist when needed. Polling stations will also have accredited volunteers or official observers to support voters and polling officers at the stations.

Sawti will be available as usual via our Instagram DMs or by email at hello@sawtivoice.com

Lebanon is divided into 15 electoral districts. Each electoral district is composed of 1 or more Cazas. Check out our interactive electoral map to know how districts are divided, and which Cazas they contain.

A preferred candidate is a candidate that you choose from the electoral list that you have voted for. You can choose one preferred candidate as the most suitable candidate to be elected from this full list. You can learn more about the preferred candidate and preferential vote here.

Votes are counted following a proportional representation. You can learn more about the electoral law in this video.

• Voting for more than one list

• Voting for more than one preferential candidate, in more than one list

• Writing on the ballot

• Drawing/ scratching on the ballot

• Using an unofficial ballot (other than the one you will receive at the polling station)

• Taking a picture of your ballot

• You can check out this video for more info on the voting card

A “threshold” or “electoral quotient” is the minimum number of votes that a list needs to obtain in order to qualify for seats. You can learn more about how the “threshold” is calculated in this video.

You are required to dip your thumb in blue ink after casting your vote. This indicates to the polling station staff and volunteers that you have voted and are no longer allowed readmission.

Directly signal any fraudulent or illegal activity to the volunteers working at the polling station, or the delegates present on the day, or any official embassy, consulate, or polling station employee.