Cuba: After High Election Turnout, Council of State Vote Awaits
Telesur | Tuesday, 13 March 2018 | Click here for original article
The incoming National Assembly will elect a new Council of State in April.
With voter turnout for Cuba's legislative election Sunday at almost 80 percent, the island completed the second stage of its general elections that will culminate in the election of a new executive in April.
According to the National Electoral Commission (CEN), about 78.5 percent of voters - almost seven million people - participated in the election.
More than eight million Cubans were eligible to vote for the 605 deputies to the National Assembly of People's Power and the 1,265 delegates to the 15 Provincial Assemblies of People's Power.
On April 16, the incoming National Assembly will elect a new Council of State, who will then determine the body's president.
Current president Raul Castro announced in 2017 that he would not be seeking reelection.
Under Cuba's 1992 election law, those registered could cast their ballot in "a free, equal and secret vote" in some 24,470 polling stations across the country's 168 municipalities.
According to official, no incidents were reported although heavy rainfall complicated voting in some areas.
The provinces that reported highest voter turnout were Mayabeque, Pinar del Rio and Granma.
Scrutiny of the vote and tally took place in the presence of more than 200,000 electoral authorities, as well as any community members who desired to observe the count, as permitted under Cuban law.
Read More: Democracy in Cuba: Spotlight on the 2018 elections
