Elections Committee: Voting extended to midnight, no problems reported so far

The Higher Judicial Committee for Elections decided to extend voting five extra hours pushing closing time to midnight at all polling centers due to a remarkably heavy turnout.
Chairman of the Committee Hisham al-Shaar earlier affirmed that no problems whatsoever have been reported so far during the balloting process ongoing in Syria.
Touring a number of polling stations in Damascus along with the Committee’s members, al-Shaar pointed to a heavy turnout by voters in the presidential polling which started early this morning and stressed that no disturbances have been reported.
He noted that there seems to be an increasing demand for more envelops, boxes and ballot papers by some sub-committees due to the high turnout, asserting that the Higher Committee is meeting all needs.
Al-Shaar said the Committee, as well as sub-committees, will continue inspection fields at stations until polls are closed.
Head of the sub-committee in Lattakia Saleh Wehbi said in a statement to SANA reporter asserted that the election process in the province has so far been running well at all polling centers.
He said the stations have witnessed an increasing turnout and there have been no problems as regulatory rules are being complied with.
In the same context, the Higher Judicial Committee told SANA that the turnout in voting centers far exceeded expectations.
Ahmad Munir Rihawi, head of Aleppo sub-committee, said 150 additional ballot boxes were ordered by several polling stations in the province in which the original boxes were full due to the high turnout.
The Damascus sub-committee announced that by 3 PM, 220 extra ballot boxes were distributed among voting centers in the city due to the large turnout of voters.
The Daraa sub-committee said it has brought additional electoral boxes to the cities of Izra’ and al-Sanamain because of the high turnout witnessed there.
It said Daraa city is also demanding additional envelops for the same reason.
Later, the Higher Judicial Committee pushes the closing time of voting to midnight in all provinces due to the high turnout.
The sub-committee of Deir Ezzor also announced that it has provided the province with 50 additional electoral boxes to assimilate the high turnout.
The sub-committee of Homs announced it has provided additional 75 electoral boxes and 175 thousand ballot papers to the province.
Similarly, more electoral boxes and supplies were dispatched to Tartous, according to Tartous sub-committee.
Source: SANA