Cuban Elections Marked by Massive Turnout

Still one hour to go before the polls closed in Cuban Sunday legislative elections, nearly 80 percent of voters had turned out to elect delegates to Provincial Assemblies and the National Parliament, according to preliminary reports.

Until 17:00 local time Sunday, 78,5 percent of 8,740.569 registered voters had casted their votes at the 24,470 polling stations, which were opened until 18:00. The National Electoral Commission is issueing the final report at a press conference this Monday.

Cubans were electing 1,265 delegates to 15 Provincial Assemblies and 605 lawmakers to the National Parliament that will be proclaimed in April.

To First Vice President Miguel Diaz Canel, by exercising their right to vote that is secret and egalitarian, the Cuban people defended their sovereignty in the face of growing threats to the Revolution amidst a complex world juncture.

In the first of voting late last year, a total of 12,515 delegates were elected to the 168 municipal assemblies across the island. These bodies then chose the candidates for this second electoral round to elect members for provincial legislative assemblies and Parliament.

For the elections, more than 200,000 citizens were trained to work at the voting process as electoral commissioners and supporting staff at polling stations.

As a distinguishing mark, children from primary and secondary education levels in their school uniforms guarded the ballot boxes.