HAVANA, Nov 29 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — A total of 11,502 Cubans were elected on Sunday in the first round as delegates of districts in the municipal elections of the People’s Power, the president of the National Electoral Council, Alina Balseiro, said.
According to the official, 5,728,220 voters exercised their right to vote, which represents 68.58 percent of more than 8,300,000 registered voters, who demonstrated popular support for their representatives and their confidence in the Revolution.
Of the total number of ballots cast, 89.11 percent were valid, 5.22 percent were blank and 5.67 percent were annulled, she explained.
She added that 925 constituencies will go to a second round next Sunday, as none of the candidates reached 50 percent of the votes.
Balseiro explained that 43.87 percent of those elected are women, while 12.52 percent are young people, according to the preliminary report, which will be certified by the CEN together with the electoral registry.
These are the first elections after the restructuring of the Cuban electoral system and the enactment of a new electoral law under the Constitution approved in 2019.
The counting of votes began at 19:00 local time on Sunday after the CEN decided to extend the scrutiny one more hour at the request of the authorities of many polling stations in the country.
To be elected candidate you must receive 50 percent plus one of the total votes and will exercise his/her mandate, in a non-professional manner, for five years, according to the changes introduced by the 2019 Constitution.
If a runoff were necessary, it will be held on Sunday, Dec 4, and these local bodies of the People’s Power will be officially constituted on Dec 17.
The authorities informed in the electoral reports that the day ran smoothly and orderly, without incidents, as usual. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA
