Greeks will elect a new parliament on Sunday. Here are some key facts about how they will vote, who is running and how the results will be announced:
VOTERS & CANDIDATES:
– About 9.8 million Greeks aged 18 and above have the right to vote, out of a total population of about 11 million. Some 113,000 young Greeks will vote for the first time.
– The 300 members of parliament are elected for a 4-year term. Twelve members are not elected directly but as "national deputies" from nationwide party tickets, depending on the parties' percentages of the vote.
– A total of 23 parties are contesting the elections. According to the latest opinion polls published nearly two weeks ago, five parties are expected to win seats: the socialist PASOK, the incumbent conservative New Democracy, the Greek communist KKE, the far-right LAOS and the Left Coalition.
ELECTION PROCESS & RESULTS
– Polling stations open at 0700 local time (0400 GMT) and close at 1900 local time (1600 GMT). Exit polls can be published once they are closed. The vote is compulsory and secret.
– No opinion polls have been published since Sept. 19 and none is allowed before the conclusion of the ballot. Publication of polls is banned within two weeks of voting.
– Official results will start coming in within the first hour after the polling stations close. The first 10 percent of the total vote count, which could give an indication of the final result, is expected earlier than usual at around 2100 (1800 GMT). This is thanks to a new system that allows about 20 percent of the total polling stations across the country to transmit results via SMS to the central counting system.
VOTING SYSTEM
– Greece is divided into 56 constituencies. The number of representatives elected in each constituency depends on the region's population. Athens' second constituency is the largest, with 42 seats.
– Under the latest electoral law enacted in 2004, 40 seats are given as a bonus to the party with the most votes, while the remaining 260 seats are distributed proportionally depending on each party's total percentage.
– To enter parliament, a party must pass a threshold of 3 percent of valid votes. Many smaller parties do not gather enough votes to be represented in the assembly.
– If no party wins outright, the President mandates the leader of the party with a relative majority to start consultations on the formation of a coalition government. If this fails, the President gives the exploratory mandate to the second and then the third largest party. If all this fails, the President calls new elections, to be held under a new electoral law that gives the winning party a 50-seat bonus.
