Turnout sluggish in Beirut's Tarek al-Jdeedeh

In Beirut, Sally Abu Aljoud spoke to the mukhtar (mayor) of Tarek al-Jdeedeh, Mohammad Tarek Sammak, who said that they saw a very low number of voters in the area when the polls opened this morning, but people started flocking in bigger numbers around noon.

“We are expecting voter turnout to be much lower this year compared to the number in 2018,” he said.

“We also have to wait until after 4 pm because many people wait to vote then to receive a higher bid of cash for their vote.” Bribery to vote is a common feature of Lebanese elections.

A voter stains his finger with ink after casting his vote at a polling station during Lebanon's parliamentary election, in Beirut (Reuters)

Sunni leader Saad Hariri and his future movement are not running in these elections, and many of his supporters are boycotting the polls. In Tarek al-Jdeedeh, his supporters have set up swimming pools in the streets.

“We haven’t seen anyone pressuring others not to vote or to boycott,” Sammak said.

“Hariri did not directly call to boycott the elections, but some people want to abstain from voting in support of Hariri’s decision to step down from politics.”

The mukhtar added that he is expecting to see many blank ballots, also in solidarity with Hariri.

“Many people have been approaching me - they come to my office - to ask me ‘who should I vote for’,” he said. “They are expressing sentiments that not a single electoral list or candidate represents them.”

Despite that, Sammak said that he has been encouraging people to vote, telling them to explore the lists and make a decision on their own.