Final count shows 72.2 per cent turn out to vote

Almost 30 per cent of voters abstained in the runoff presidential election on Sunday, with a total of 405,086 people casting a vote.

That figure represents 72.2 of those eligible to vote, a small increase from the first round a week ago which saw a 70 per cent turn out.

In Nicosia, 72.9 per cent of people turned out to vote, exactly the same as last Sunday, while more people turned out in Limassol compared to last week at 70.4 per cent compared to 68.9 the week before.

Famagusta saw 72.2 per cent of the public going to vote, a slight decrease compared to the previous week which saw 72.8 per cent, meanwhile Larnaca had 72.5 per cent this Sunday and 72.4 last week.

Paphos had the highest percentage of voters – though not by much – at 74.7 per cent, down slightly from the previous week at 75.5 per cent.

Voting abroad stood at 67.9 per cent during the runoff and 73.8 per cent last Sunday.

The presidential elections in 2018 amounted to 73.1 per cent voter turnout, while the parliamentary elections in 2021 garnered 65.7 per cent of voters.

A total of 3,628 voters registered to vote at the High Commission and the Cyprus Community Centre in London and at Greek Orthodox churches in Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds and Bristol.

The polls were closed at 6pm in Cyprus.

In the meantime, personal data commissioner Irini Loizidou said her office received several complaints from voters denouncing episodes of harassment carried out by staff members of the presidential candidates in the form of messages or phone calls.

She said all the complaints are being collected and will be thoroughly addressed.

“As opposed to last Sunday, the runoff presidential elections saw episodes of harassment against voters,” she told the Cyprus News Agency.

Political parties are not allowed to campaign at this stage, which effectively means that phone calls or messages to voters could be interpreted as harassment.

However, she also added that no violations of personal data have been recorded at voting stations around Cyprus.

“Voting stations are being continuously monitored and no violation of the voters’ personal data have been recorded so far,” Loizidou said.