As many as 107 schools in Oman will not hold classes on December 25 as they have been selected to be the polling booths for the municipal elections.

Omanis in neighbouring Gulf states had already cast their votes in the municipal council elections in the sultanate’s embassies in all Gulf capitals and Trade Representative Office in Dubai on December 18.

The number of voters registered this year stood at 623,224, including 333,733 men and 289,491 women, with an increase of 100,000 from last elections, according to the Ministry of Interior.

As many as 731 candidates are vying for 202 seats, of whom 23 are women. The ministry has also allocated 107 election centres across the country including 18 centres for men, 18 for women and 71 centres for both men and women.

Meanwhile, the ministry has introduced a new state-of-the-art machine for the first time in the municipal elections to count votes in a quicker, easier and more transparent way. “By this new technology, we will be able to finish [counting] before midnight as it helps save time once the voting is over,” said Dr Hilal Al Hatmi, the acting head of the Electoral Register at the ministry. Al Hatmi added that the new machine counts votes automatically

The voter only has to insert the paper with a tick marked next to his or her preferred candidate’s name, which will be available in all election centres nationwide.

Oman held elections to its Municipal Council for the first time in October 2012.

Members of the elected Shura Council and appointed State Council are not eligible to contest the municipal elections. The rules also bar all government employees from contesting.

Under a law promulgated last year, 61 provinces in the country will have seats in the Municipal Council.

Four women were elected to the Municipal Council in 2012. The council’s term is four years.

source : gulfnews