Manama: Bahrainis on Saturday went to the polls to elect their lawmakers for the new legislative term (2014-2018).

How frequent are parliamentary elections in Bahrain?

Bahrain will hold its fourth parliamentary elections since the promulgation of the new constitution that allowed women to vote and run. There were votes in 2002, 2006 and 2010.

How many candidates are vying for the seats?

The final number announced by the election officials is 266 candidates.

How many lawmakers will be elected?

Voters will elect 40 lawmakers.

How many women are running?

22 women will be vying for seats. The 2002 Council of Representatives had no women. There was one in 2006 and again in 2010. However, three more women joined after they won in the 2011 by-elections.

How many women candidates were there in the 2010 elections?

There were seven women out of 127 candidates

How many voters are eligible to cast their ballots in 2014?

Official figures say that 349,713 Bahrainis, including 175,998 men and 173,175 women, are listed to cast their ballots.

How many polling stations are there in Bahrain?

There are 53 polling stations in Bahrain: one in each of the 40 electoral districts and 13 general stations where voters can cast their ballots regardless of their constituency.

When do Bahrainis vote?

Polling stations are open from 8am to 8pm. The first round is on November 22 and the second round is on November 29.

The second round is held in constituencies where no candidate was declared a winner. A winner needs at least 50 per cent of the votes. The top two in any constituency will move to the second round while the others are out.

Can Bahrainis overseas vote?

Yes. Bahrainis can cast their ballots in any of the 29 diplomatic missions designated as polling stations.

Bahrainis abroad voted on November 18 in the first round and will vote on November 25 if there is no clear winner in their constituency in Bahrain.

How many outgoing lawmakers are not seeking re-election?

The Council of Representatives will be greatly changed because 22 of the outgoing lawmakers will not be seeking re-elections. Some former MPs expected a new look council by 70 per cent.

Who can run in the parliamentary elections?

A candidate must be a Bahraini national who must be registered in his or her constituency, be at least 30 years old and able to read and write Arabic.

What is special about the 2014 elections?

The very high number of candidates and the new electoral constituencies after they were redrawn stand out. The justice minister said that 80 per cent of the electoral constituencies have been redrawn, resulting in 90 per cent of all constituencies becoming of comparable size.

Who is monitoring the elections?

Election officials said that eight civil societies are fielding 301 observers to monitor the polls.