Legislative elections: Candidate registration open from Feb. 10 to March 10

Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar on Tuesday issued a circular setting the deadlines for submitting and withdrawing candidacies for the legislative elections scheduled for Sunday, May 10, 2026, in Lebanon, and May 1 and 3 for voters abroad. The document was published on the ministry’s X account.

Candidates may begin registering from Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, until Tuesday, March 10 at midnight. Each candidate must submit a statement with their full name and the district they are running in, along with the required documents: passport-style photo, civil status certificate and a bank receipt confirming payment of the registration fee set at 200 million Lebanese pounds (about $2,200).

The deadline for withdrawing a candidacy is Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at midnight. Candidates must submit an official withdrawal statement signed by a notary.

The current electoral law, based on a proportional system, requires each candidate to be part of a list. The circular states that the registration of lists must be completed before March 30 at midnight. Candidates may delegate this task to one of the list members, who must indicate the names and details of all members, as well as the chosen name and color of the list. The circular warns that any candidacy not included on a list will be automatically canceled.

The issue of expatriate voting has sparked heated debate in recent months. Under current law, six seats are reserved for expatriates in addition to the parliament’s 128 seats. A majority of MPs had called for an amendment allowing expatriates to vote for any of the 128 seats according to their region of origin. However, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry refused to open debate on this proposal in the chamber.