RABAT, 9 September (BelTA - Xinhua) - Polls for the lower house and local elections in Morocco closed as scheduled at 7:00 p.m. local time (1800 GMT) on Wednesday, and preliminary results are expected early Thursday morning.
In total, 17,509,127 voters were registered to cast their ballots for 395 seats in the House of Representatives, or the lower house, and more than 31,503 local and regional officials.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Interior, the turnout in this election reached 50.18 percent at the closing time.
All polling stations were closed at 7 p.m. local time in accordance with the legal provisions, it added.
The election of the provincial councils will be held on Sept. 21, and the election of the House of Councillors, or the upper house, is scheduled for Oct. 5.
It is the third time that Morocco has held such elections ever since the country adopted a new constitution on July 1, 2011.
