Ten general polling stations are being set up across Bahrain for the parliamentary and municipal elections on October 23.

'Most of the locations are the same as in the 2006 elections, except for a shift from Seef Mall to the Bahrain City Centre this year,' elections chief executive officer and public prosecutor Nawaf Al Ma'awada told our sister newspaper Gulf Daily News (GDN).

There are 40 constituency election centres, but 10 general centres will be for people to vote outside their constituencies if it is more convenient, such as if they are working nearby.

Staff will also be assigned at general polling stations at Bahrain International Airport and King Fahad Causeway to allow travellers to vote.

Other general polling stations are: Al Quds Primary School for Girls; Al Hidd Elementary School for Girls; Ministry of Education Hall, near Isa Town; Mother and Children's Welfare Society, Isa Town; BDF Hospital, Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, and the Bapco Club, Awali.

Al Ma'awada said there would be no special facilities for police and military voters.

'Anyone who is a Bahraini registered on the voting list is eligible to cast his/her ballot,' he said.

For the first time in Bahrain's history, ballot boxes will be transparent to allow observers to monitor the vote counting.

'This is according to international standards,' said Al Ma'awada.

Parliament and municipal elections will be held on October 23, with more than 318,668 Bahrainis eligible to vote.

A total of 38,824 voters are located in the Capital Governorate, 57,233 live in the Muharraq Governorate, 107,057 are in the Northern Governorate, 98,258 are located in the Central Governorate and 17,295 live in the Southern Governorate.-TradeArabia News Service