2013 Kuwaiti general election
Early general elections were held in Kuwait on 27 July 2013. The elections were required after the Constitutional Court dissolved Parliament and annulled the results of the December 2012 elections. Voter turnout was an estimated 52.5%, which was higher than expected despite an opposition boycott, and only 7% lower than the non-boycotted February 2012 elections.
Background
Early elections had been held in December 2012 after the National Assembly elected in February 2012 was dissolved by the Constitutional Court, as the dissolution of the previous Assembly elected in 2009 by Emir Sabah Al-Sabah was deemed to be unconstitutional. Six weeks before the December 2012 elections, the electoral law was changed to reduce the number of votes voters could cast from four to one. The changes were rejected by opposition groups, claiming that it would allow the government to manipulate the elections.According to the constitution, elections had to be held within 60 days of the dissolution on 16 June. They were originally scheduled for 25 July, but were later postponed due to delays in the candidate registration process; the electoral law required registration had to start a month before the election, but the cabinet put process on hold whilst it waited for the Constitutional Court to publish the reasons for ruling that dissolved the previous National Assembly.