Voters will be able to present the virtual version of their identity card on the government’s “digital citizen” mobile application as proof of identity when they go to cast their ballots at the forthcoming parliamentary elections, chief returning officer Elikkos Elia said on Sunday.

He told the Cyprus News Agency that a “control mechanism” to ward against the possibility of people using the application fraudulently has been developed so as to allow voters to use the application as proof of identity, and that it will be in operation at polling stations across the island.

Additionally, he said that voters will be able to use a separate mobile application, named “where do I vote”, to find the polling station at which they are registered.

To do so, he said, they will be required to enter their identity card number and date of birth.

He added that the “where do I vote” application should be ready for public use on Monday or Tuesday.

Regarding the publication of results, he said that it will be known “two or three hours” after polls close how many MPs each party will send to parliament, while the names of all 56 MPs will be known by 1am or 2am on May 25, the day after the election.

He also passed comment on the printing of ballot papers,  and said that printing should be completed by Wednesday, before saying that “there will be no problem” caused by the fact that on all ballot papers will be double-sided, except for those printed in the Larnaca district and those printed for the election of a Maronite Cypriot non-voting representative.

As such, in the Nicosia, Limassol, Famagusta, Paphos, and Kyrenia districts, names of candidates and parties will appear on both sides of the ballot, while election processes for the Armenian Cypriot and Latin Cypriot non-voting representative are already complete.

The election will take place on May 24.

Of the 56 seats which will be up for election later this month,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.

The Republic of Cyprus’ constitution initially foresaw a parliament with 50 voting members, of whom 35 would be Greek Cypriots and 15 would be Turkish Cypriots, as well as non-voting observers belonging to the Armenian, Latin, and Maronite communities.

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.