777 polling stations to open in Northern Cyprus on Sunday

On Sunday, October 19, 777 polling stations will open across Northern Cyprus for the “presidential elections.” The stations will operate from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

For the first time, vote counting will be conducted electronically. According to the chairman of the Supreme Election Council, results are expected within one and a half to two hours after the polls close. A total of 218,313 people are registered to vote. Eight candidates are running: Osman Zorba (Cyprus Socialist Party), Tufan Erhürman (Republican Turkish Party), and six independents — Arif Salih Kırdağ, Ahmet Boran, Mehmet Hasgüler, İbrahim Yazıcı, Hüseyin Gürlek, and Ersin Tatar.

To win in the first round, a candidate must secure a majority of 50% of valid votes plus one. If no candidate achieves this, a second round will be held the following week, on October 26.

The article also provides official data on voter turnout and registered voters in previous “presidential elections” in Northern Cyprus by year: 1985 — 94,277 (turnout 85.7%), 1990 — 101,172 (93.48%), 1995 — 113,398 (85.13% in 1st round), 2000 — 126,675 (81.02% in 1st round), 2005 — 147,823 (69.58%), 2010 — 164,072 (76.3%), 2015 — 176,916 (62.35% in 1st round), 2020 — 198,957 (58.29% in 1st round). Source: Cyprus News Agency (ΚΥΠΕ).