Polling stations across Bahrain opened this morning (November 22) to more than 340,000 nationals eligible to cast their ballots in the national elections, a report said.

Voting is taking place across the country's 53 polling stations with 10 each located in the Southern and Capital Governorates, 12 in Northern, eight in Muharraq and an additional 13 general voting centres at landmark locations, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

A total of 349,713 people are eligible to vote in this year's parliamentary and municipal council elections.

They will choose from among 419 election hopefuls 266 candidates running for parliament and 153 hoping for a seat in one of Bahrain's three municipal councils.

They go to the polls for the fourth time in 12 years since the launch of the pioneering reform project by His Majesty King Hamad.

Parliamentary elections are open only to Bahrainis, but expatriate property owners in the Muharraq, Northern or Southern governorates are also entitled to take part in the polls and help elect a municipal councillor to represent them.

Two candidates have already won their parliamentary and municipal seats unopposed.

This year's elections witness an unparalleled number of candidates, compared with the previous ones in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2011 by-elections.

A total of 490 candidates entered the fray in October but with the withdrawal of 11 and the ineligibility of other candidates, the number settled at 419 in the final list.

Twenty-nine Bahraini diplomatic missions, consulates and embassies abroad witnessed a massive turnout of voters, whose number has topped 1,667, marking an increase of 1,195 compared with 2010.

The elections executive committee has completed all preparations to ensure readiness of the polling centres to receive the voters and monitors under the supervision of 56 judges and 300 monitors from eight non-government organisations.

High Elections Committee chief executive and Legislative and Legal Opinion Commission president Abdulla Al Buainain met ambassadors of friendly countries to brief them on the electoral process and Bahrain's keenness on its transparency.

The Information Affairs Authority has set up a state-of-the-art media centre for local and foreign journalists covering the elections.

A contingency plan has also been put in place to prevent attempts to impede the elections or jeopardise citizens' safety.

The Interior Ministry last night rejected claims that the election website had been hijacked as rumours. – TradeArabia News Service