Open letter from associations advocating for bill supporting Lebanese expatriate voting

About 20 associations of Lebanese emigrants published an open letter on Friday addressed to the government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, urging it to launch an initiative in favor of the vote of Lebanese expatriates in the legislative elections set for spring 2026.

According to them, this initiative should take the form of a bill amending the electoral law article that allocates to expatriates six independent deputies out of the Parliament’s 128 members, in order to restore their ability to vote according to their region of origin in Lebanon.

This issue, which is the subject of a draft law presented by several MPs but has been ignored by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, divides the chamber and has already led to a lack of quorum at the last parliamentary session on Sept. 30.

"Faced with tensions within Parliament and the absence of any consensus on the matter, we ask your government to take the initiative of adopting a clear bill that would allow expatriates to vote according to their place of origin in Lebanon, thereby abolishing the six-deputy principle, and to submit it to Parliament, which will settle the debate and put us on the path to the desired reform," the open letter reads.

The associations point out that the possibility of expatriate registration has been opened by the Interior and Foreign Affairs Ministries, and that the deadline expires on Nov. 20. "This deadline is short, and if there is still no visibility regarding voting procedures, this would compromise the turnout in the next legislative elections, as well as the diaspora’s ability to influence the domestic political scene," the text says.

"We see this reform as an essential measure reflecting the government’s commitment to the principle of equality among voters and the recognition of their right to participate in shaping the national decision, without discrimination or exception," the text concludes.

Expatriate voting divides political blocs according to how they perceive their electoral interests. The Amal-Hezbollah duo and the Free Patriotic Movement cling to the current law, while their detractors suspect them of fearing a shift in the balance if expatriates, less subject to local influences, vote en masse.