Officials wait for voters at a polling station at Prince Salman center in Riyadh, in this Sept. 29, 2011 file photo.

Voting joy for Saudi women

The third municipal election, which will see for the first time women participating as voters and candidates, will be held between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Dec. 12. The results will be out the following day.

“The Municipal Election Committee has set a timeframe for the polls, including the timings for registration of voters and candidates,” said Jedaie bin Nahar Al-Qahtani, spokesman of the election panel.

The whole election process, including campaign, would take three months. Registration of voters will be done between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. from Aug. 22 to Sept. 14, he said

Registration of candidates will be from Aug. 30 to Sept. 17, the spokesman said.

Preliminary lists of candidates would be published on Sept. 30 while the last date for withdrawal is Nov. 19, when the final list of candidates will be announced he said.

“Candidates will have 12 days for campaigning, from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10 midnight,” Al-Qahtani said.

A high-level committee, including three leading women, has been set up to oversee the elections.

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