17 Reasons Why Voter Turnout Was Lower Than Expected In The 2022 Lebanon Elections
The Lebanese Revolution, which kicked off on October 17th, 2019, set the political scene into a frenzy never seen before.
Countless Lebanese families from all over the country took to the streets to voice their disdain for the ruling class. The change-seeking wave that was set in action then led to the rise of many new independent groups and to the breaking of many political taboos.
With all that said, one would expect a higher turnout from voters in the Lebanese parliamentary elections. However, according to the Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi, the turnout was a mere 41%.
While the number is upsetting at first, the low turnout is not as unforeseen as one might think, and here's why:
#1 Electoral lists running on behalf of civil society and as the opposition were perceived as disorganized by the people.
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Many citizens had qualms with these lists not unifying and presenting a single front.
In fact, one of the most common reasonings you would hear from people against these groups were statements like, "They can't even agree amongst themselves, you want us to believe they can enforce change?"
#2 Fuel prices and transportation problems
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Ideological reasoning aside, many citizens had much more practical problems to tackle. The most incessant among them were transportation issues and fuel prices.
The current unprecedented financial crisis has taken its toll on the majority of the Lebanese in the country.
Many had to relocate from their villages to cities. A common dialogue amongst them was that they'd have to pay half their rent's worth in transportation if they were to take a cab to their districts.
#3 Accessibility to polling stations was very lacking in general
Only a few centers accommodated people with disabilities while the rest did not. They had protested prior to the elections for the government to consider their special needs to allow them easy access to perform their civic duty on election day. Their calls remained unheeded.
#4 The situation at most polling stations was generally bad and disorganized
[Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu Agency
A tidbit most previous Lebanese voters are more than familiar with. From long and crowded queues to lack of adequate air conditioning in most polling stations, and the pretense that Covid never existed.
While this seems passable to the younger generation, most elders who were aware of the possibility of having to wait in line for hours, would very much rather just stay in the comfort of their homes.
#5 Distance issues with polling stations in the diaspora
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The Lebanese government missed taking into consideration how big cities of the world are and the usual long distances.
There were key cities in the diaspora with no assigned polling stations. An example would be Madrid, a capital city, yet with the nearest and only assigned polling stations in Spain being 2 in Barcelona, which is a good 5-6 hours trip. Same in Turkey where a Lebanese had to travel for 2 days, 2000+ km to make it to the Istanbul polling station.
Parents with young children couldn't possibly undertake such an expedition. And with the ongoing fuel price issue in the world, many would have simply abstained.
Those who decided to brave the distances had to commute long hours (14+ hours by car, others had to take flights to the nearest station).
#6 The issue with the time allocated to the diaspora registration
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Amidst a wave of mass migration, registration closing back in November meant anyone who left between then and now couldn't register.
Even those before who didn't have a permanent residency, like most who left after the explosion, couldn't register to vote. (Estimated to be at least 300,000 people).
#7 Saad Hariri's call to boycott the elections