A Lebanese expatriate marks her thumb in ink after voting in the Lebanese legislative elections on May 8, 2022 in Dubai. (Credit: Rula Rouhana/Reuters)
BEIRUT — The official and final participation rates, by continent, of the Lebanese registered abroad to vote in the country's parliamentary elections, were published Thursday by the Foreign Ministry, the day after the interior minister announced that a total of 63.05 percent of the Lebanese voters cast their ballots on Friday and Sunday in the legislative elections.
Out of 225,277 registered voters, 142,041 people voted, according to the Foreign Ministry's figures. The Foreign Ministry's number for the total number of registered voters is lower than that of the Interior Ministry by 347 voters. When contacted by L'Orient Today on Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry could not immediately account for the discrepancy.
According to the Foreign Ministry's figures, the largest number of voters was in Europe, with 45,441 voters having put their ballot in the box, or 32 percent of the total votes cast, according to our calculations. Next comes Asia with 25.86 percent of the votes cast, or 36,738 voters; then North America with 33,879 voters, or 23.85 percent of the votes cast. Oceania and Africa saw 11,876 and 11,860 Lebanese voters case ballots, respectively, representing 8.36 percent and 8.35 percent of the vote. Finally comes Latin America with 2,247 voters, representing 1.58 percent of the total votes.
The Foreign Ministry also communicated the participation figures by constituency, giving insight into the regions for which the Lebanese abroad were the most mobilized.
The largest number of voters cast ballots in Mount Lebanon IV (Chouf-Aley), where 10,509 voters took part in the Chouf poll, and another 6,557 in Aley, for a total of 17,066 votes. Then comes Beirut II, with 16.346 votes cast. Mount Lebanon II (Metn) comes in third place with 9,812 Lebanese abroad voting there. At the bottom of the ranking, comes Bekaa II (Bekaa West-Rashaya) with 4,589 voters out of the 7,149 registered (64.19 percent) casting ballots.
Here are the participation rates for all constituencies:
For Beirut I, 6,320 Lebanese abroad voted out of 9,647 registered voters, i.e. 65.51 percent. In Beirut II, 16,346 people out of 26,392 registered voters voted, i.e. 61.94 percent.
South Lebanon I: 62.16 percent of participation in the city of Saida (2,140 out of 3,443 registered voters) and 65.62 percent in Jezzine (3,216 out of 4,901).
South Lebanon II: 60.04 percent participation in Sour (6,930 out of 11,543) and 53.95 percent in Zahrani (3,848 out of 7,132).
South Lebanon III: In Hasbaya-Marjayoun, there were 4,556 votes cast out of 8,592 registered voters, for a turnout of 53.03 percent. There was also 53.93 percent participation in Bint Jbeil (3,750 out of 6,954 registered voters) and 57.49 percent in Nabatieh (3,694 out of 6,426).
Bekaa I: 63.67 percent participation (6,119 voters out of 9,610 registered) in Zahle.
Bekaa-III: 59.52 percent participation in Baalbeck-Hermel (4,653 out of 7,817).
North Lebanon I: 56.61 percent participation in Akkar (4,781 out of 8,446).
North Lebanon II: In Minnieh, 697 voters out of 1,345 registered voters took part in the elections, i.e. a rate of 51.82 percent. In Tripoli, this figure amounts to 59.45 percent participation (6,465 out of 10,875 registered voters), while Denniyeh recorded 57.73 percent participation (1,755 out of 3,040).
North Lebanon III: 63.37 percent participation in Zgharta (5,198 out of 8,203), 61.58 percent participation in Besharri (3,719 out of 6,039), 67.32 percent participation in Koura (4,057 out of 6,026), and 69.63 percent participation in Batroun (4,473 out of 6,424).
Mount Lebanon I: 5,132 people voted in Kesrouan, out of 7,161 registered voters, i.e., 71.67 percent. In Jbeil, 4,004 Lebanese voted out of 5,752 registered voters, i.e. a rate of 69.61 percent.
Mount Lebanon III (Baabda): 65.81 percent of participation (8,721 out of 13,251).