Cyprus’ Chief Returning Officer Elikkos Elia said he expects a record number of candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections of 24 May 2026, surpassing the total recorded in the 2021 vote. Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), he also defended the continued use of metal ballot boxes, stating that the traditional container “ensures the secrecy of the vote”.
Record number of candidates expected
Elia said the number of candidates is likely to exceed that of the 2021 parliamentary elections, when 651 candidatesran, including 160 women. “I estimate that this year we will have more candidates,” he said, adding that he hopes the number of female candidates will also increase. The final figures will become known on 6 May, the official deadline for submitting candidacies.
In the 2021 elections, there were 15 party lists and seven independent candidates. Elia said he expects at least more political parties to participate this year. “There are already 28 or 29 parties registered in the Register of Political Parties, although this does not necessarily mean that all of them will contest the parliamentary elections,” he noted.
Organisation of the elections
According to Elia, approximately 1,195 polling stations will operate across Cyprus and around 6,860 officials will be involved in the electoral process, including 1,185 members of the police. “We are preparing for the conduct of the parliamentary elections on 24 May 2026 and I am confident that they will be carried out smoothly and will be beyond reproach, a process that many countries, even developed ones, would like to have,” he said.
Why Cyprus still uses metal ballot boxes
Responding to questions about why transparent ballot boxes are not used, Elia said the metal ballot container traditionally used in Cyprus safeguards the secrecy of the vote. “The metal box ensures the secrecy of the vote,” he said.
He explained that ballots cannot be placed in envelopes under Cyprus’ electoral legislation because authorities must verify that the number of ballots inserted in the box matches the number of voters who cast ballots. If a ballot were to open while being inserted into a transparent box, he said, the secrecy of the vote could be compromised. For that reason, Cyprus continues to use the metal container.
Elia added that the ballot box currently used is solid and resistant to potential damage.
Call for a respectful campaign
The Chief Returning Officer also called on political parties and candidates to conduct their campaigns in a moderate tone during the pre-election period and to present their positions with documented arguments. “We all have a duty to preserve and strengthen the resilience of our democracy, with the aim of contributing to the well-being of citizens,” he concluded.