Presidential elections cost €7 mln

The cost of February’s presidential elections is estimated at €7 mln, based on the expenditures in the Interior Ministry’s budget.

Cypriots vote on Sunday, but opinion polls suggest it will go to a runoff between the two leading candidates.

The highest election cost is for overtime work of civil servants, policing, election preparation, staffing of polling stations, and vote counting during the first round, calculated at €2.3 mln.

With another round of voting expected, the repeated cost is estimated at €1.95 mln.

The cost for the police and, over time, transportation expenses is €900,000.

Rent for venues, materials, and various equipment is estimated at €100,000, and expenses of €150,000 have been incurred at the Government Printing Office (ballot papers and overtime).

A budget of €500,000 has been allocated for publishing election announcements and advertisements in newspapers.

Some €280,000 was incurred for the campaign to encourage new voters to register and reduce abstentions.

Another €250,000 is budgeted for the visualisation and presentation of results by the Information Services Department.

An additional €50,000 was allocated for expenses from the Public Works Department for various construction projects, €50,000 for expenses from the Electrical Engineering Services Department for various electrical engineering projects, and €100,000 for stationery, paper, and other consumable materials.

Furthermore, €300,000 was earmarked for the cost of the overseas polling stations and €50,000 for unexpected expenses.