2026 Lebanese general election


General elections are scheduled to be held in Lebanon on 10 May 2026 to elect all 128 members of the Lebanese Parliament. The elections will take place following the successful 2025 election of president Joseph Aoun.

Background

Election of Aoun and appointment of Salam

On 9 January 2025, Aoun was elected president in the second round of the electoral session. In his inaugural address, he vowed to fight the mafias, drug trafficking, interference in the justice system, corruption, poverty, and sectarianism. He also stated that he would promote economic, political, and judicial reform.
In one of his first acts as president, Aoun nominated Nawaf Salam, the head of the International Court of Justice, as Prime Minister of Lebanon after winning the majority of votes by the members of parliament. Salam and Aoun's election is seen as a manifestation of Hezbollah's diminished influence in Lebanese politics, partly due to the group's military and financial losses in the conflict with Israel and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. Aoun formally appointed Salam as Prime Minister on 8 February 2025.

Disarming of Hezbollah

Hezbollah, facing regional pressures and internal challenges, expressed willingness to discuss its armament, contingent upon Israel's withdrawal from contested territories in southern Lebanon and the cessation of military strikes. Aoun emphasized direct talks between the presidency and Hezbollah to establish "modalities" for transferring weapons to state control. He stated that he aims to make 2025 the year of "state monopoly on arms". The Lebanese Army, under Aoun’s direction, was tasked with confiscating weapons and dismantling unauthorized military facilities in southern Lebanon. This is in line with the ceasefire agreement following the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah conflict, which requires the army to extend state authority and remove all unauthorized arms caches and outposts, regardless of the group controlling them.

Electorate

Electoral system

In accordance with the Lebanese practice of political confessionalism, the Lebanese religious communities distribute reserved seats in the different constituencies according to their demographic weight. The distribution of votes is proportional. Once all the ballot papers have been counted, the total of valid votes in each constituency is divided by the number of seats to be filled, which gives the electoral threshold necessary for a list to obtain a seat. The distribution of seats is done between the lists having reached this quorum proportionally according to the percentage of votes obtained, then within the lists in accordance with the denominational quotas and the number of preferential votes obtained by the candidates.
Electoral district under 2017 Election Law
Beirut I 8111311
Beirut II 1162111
Bekaa I 7111121
Bekaa II 621111
Bekaa III 102611
Mount Lebanon I 817
Mount Lebanon II 84211
Mount Lebanon III 6213
Mount Lebanon IV 1324511
North I 73112
North II 118111
North III 1073
South I 5221
South II 761
South III 111811
Total128272782341485111
Source: ------------

Registered voters

Preliminary lists of the numbers of voters :

Debate of changing the electoral law

With the 2026 parliamentary elections approaching, political debate is intensifying over which electoral law will govern the vote. The key question is whether elections will be held under the current proportional representation system with amendments or under an entirely new law, such as the "single electoral district" proposal by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. The proposed single electoral district system raises concerns among Christian parties and independent Christian MPs, who argue that it would significantly diminish the Christian political influence.

Lebanese living abroad

Lebanese citizens living abroad are eligible to participate in legislative elections. Although the Lebanese diaspora is estimated to number several million, a significant portion no longer holds Lebanese nationality due to decades of emigration. Registration for the 2026 elections indicated continued engagement among expatriates, building on trends observed in previous electoral cycles.
Under the 2017 electoral law, six parliamentary seats are allocated specifically for the diaspora; however, expatriate votes are still counted within their respective domestic constituencies. Voting for Lebanese abroad was organized in multiple phases, with citizens residing in Arab countries casting their ballots prior to the main election day in Lebanon, and those living in other regions voting shortly thereafter. Lebanese expatriates were reported to participate from dozens of countries worldwide.
Electoral DistrictDistrictVotesRegisteredTotal votesTotal Registered% Participation
Beirut 1East Beirut
Beirut 2West Beirut
Bekaa 1Zahle
Bekaa 2RachayaWest Bekaa
Bekaa 3BaalbekHermel
Mount Lebanon 1Keserouane
Mount Lebanon 1Byblos/Jbeil
Mount Lebanon 2Metn
Mount Lebanon 3Baabda
Mount Lebanon 4Aley
Mount Lebanon 4Chouf
North 1Akkar
North 2Minieh
North 2Tripoli
North 2Denieh
North 3Zgharta
North 3Bcharre
North 3Koura
North 3Batroun
South 1Saida
South 1Jezzine
South 2Tyre
South 2Zahrani
South 3Hasbaya – Marjayoun
South 3Bint Jbail
South 3Nabateye
TotalLebanon 151,985 151,985

Registered voters per country

Online Voter Registration for the Diaspora

The registration process for Lebanese expatriates to vote in the 2026 Lebanese parliamentary elections saw the launch of a new dedicated online platform by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants. The initiative aimed to significantly increase diaspora participation and streamline the logistical process for voting abroad.