District offices across the island will remain open for voter registrations on Saturday, ahead of next Thursday’s deadline, the interior ministry said on Tuesday.

The offices in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos and Paralimni will all be open between 8am and 2pm on Saturday, and will otherwise remain open until 5pm on weekdays until the deadline.

Online voter registration will remain open until midnight next Thursday, April 2, with the ministry stating that all Cypriot citizens who are aged 18 years old or older on election day, May 24, and who have had their usual residence in the Republic of Cyprus for the past six months, are eligible to vote.

Turkish Cypriots who live in territories under government control and who have identity cards issued by the Republic of Cyprus can vote and stand in presidential and parliamentary elections in line with the doctrine of necessity, which outlines the running of the Greek Cypriot-led government in the aftermath of the outbreak of intercommunal violence in 1963.

People who intend to vote abroad are required to declare their intention to do so before next week’s deadline, with polling stations expected to open in Belgium, Greece, and the United Kingdom.

On this front, the interior ministry stated that polling stations abroad may open in locations where at least 30 voters have expressed an interest in voting.

Those who wish to vote abroad can register to do so on the government’s website, at elections.gov.cy, or in paper form by submitting the relevant form to a Cypriot embassy, high commission or consulate in Greece or in the United Kingdom.

They can also file applications at district administration offices, citizen service centres, and citizen centres at post offices in Cyprus.

Ahead of the election, parliament will dissolve itself on April 23, while the interior minister of the day will submit a decree for elections to be held on April 24.

A general commissioner and assistant general commissioner, as well as commissioners and assistant commissioners for each of Cyprus’ six electoral districts, will also be appointed on April 24, while candidacies are to be submitted on May 6.

The election itself will take place on May 24, with results set to be announced on the evening of May 24, and new members of parliament will be proclaimed as such on May 25.

A total of 56 seats will be up for election, including that of Dipa’s George Penintaex, who only became an MP in December after Marinos Mousiouttas vacated his seat to become labour minister.

Of those 56 seats, 19 will belong to MPs from the Nicosia district, 12 to MPs from the Limassol district, 11 to MPs from the Famagusta district, six to MPs from the Larnaca district, five to MPs from the Paphos district, and three to MPs from the Kyrenia district.

The Paphos district gained an extra seat ahead of May’s election due to the growth in its voting population, with that gain coming at the Nicosia district’s expense.

Following the breakdown of constitutional order and the outbreak of intercommunal violence in 1963, the Turkish Cypriots were unable to return to their seats in parliament, leaving just 35 voting members.

That figure was raised to 56 Greek Cypriots ahead of the 1985 parliamentary elections after the constitution was altered using the doctrine of necessity. The amendment foresees 24 Turkish Cypriots also being elected, but with the Cyprus problem remaining unsolved, this has not yet happened.

However, with some Turkish Cypriots continuing to live in territories under government control, legislation based on the doctrine of necessity allows them to vote and stand in parliamentary elections on the list of 56, as well as in presidential elections.