2028 Lebanese general election

Election of Aoun and appointment of Salam

On 9 January 2025, Aoun was elected president in the second round of the electoral session.^[2] 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.^[3][4]

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.^[5] 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.^[6][7] Aoun formally appointed Salam as Prime Minister on 8 February 2025.^[8]

On 2 February 2026 President Aoun and Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar, signed Decree No. 2438, setting the election dates between 1 and 10 May. Lebanese living abroad were scheduled vote on 1 May and on 3 May, depending on the country they live in. Citizens inside Lebanon were to vote on 10 May.^[9][10]

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.^[11] He stated that he aims to make 2025 the year of "state monopoly on arms". The Lebanese Army, under president Aoun's direction, was tasked with confiscating weapons and dismantling unauthorized military facilities in southern Lebanon.^[12] 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.

Postponement

On 9 March 2026, the Lebanese Parliament approved a 2-year term extension during a plenary session, as the war between Israel and Hezbollah escalated. At the time of the extension, over 400 people had been killed and almost half a million displaced.^[13] The postponement of the elections by two years was opposed by the majority of Christian parties, who preferred a shorter extension, or one without a fixed date.^[14]

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.^[15] 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.^[16] 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.^[16]

Registered voters

Preliminary lists of the numbers of voters (Feb 2026):

Debate of changing the electoral law

The electoral system has been a matter of significant debate within Lebanese politics. 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.^[17]

Registered voters per country

More information Rank, Country ...

Rank	Country	Registered voters (2022)	Registered voters (2026) 1
Europe		70,432	53,194
1	France	28,142 [a]	21,303
2	Germany	16,171	14,698
3	United Kingdom	6,535	3,922
4	Sweden	4,023	3,020
5	Belgium	3,092	2,593
6	Switzerland	2,601	2,183
7	Italy	2,128	1,457
8	Spain	1,226	722
9	Netherlands	965	651
10	Cyprus	840	601
11	Denmark	706	433
12	Romania	696	498
13	Greece	528	264
14	Ukraine	341	—N/a
15	Russia	323	261
16	Austria	282	243
17	Ireland	233	203
18	Hungary	221	—N/a
19	Poland	215	—N/a
20	Luxembourg	200	322
21	Belarus	172	—N/a
22	Norway	162	—N/a
23	Czech Republic	153	—N/a
24	Portugal	148	—N/a
25	Rest of Europe	329	—N/a
Asia		56,874	28,655
1	UAE	25,066	12,739
2	Saudi Arabia	13,105	6,459
3	Qatar	7,344	4,562
4	Kuwait	5,760	514
5	Syria	1,018	—N/a
6	Turkey	999	255
7	Oman	903	475
8	Iran	642	498
9	Bahrain	638	451
10	Jordan	483	—N/a
11	Iraq	327	—N/a
12	Armenia	192	—N/a
13	Rest of Asia	397	—N/a
North America		56,680	34,397
1	USA	27,982	15,345
2	Canada	27,447	18,658
3	Mexico	1,242	394
4	Rest of North America	9	—N/a
Oceania		20,808	11,009
1	Australia	20,661	11,009
2	New Zealand	147	—N/a
Africa		18,869	14,898
1	Ivory Coast	6,070	5,512
2	Nigeria	2,580	1,910
3	Congos	1,428	1,355
4	Ghana	1,012	885
5	Gabon	848	989
6	Sierra Leone	724	435
7	Senegal	707	514
8	Egypt	709	441
9	Benin	518	532
10	Togo	458	451
11	Zambia	409	441
12	South Africa	406	200
13	Liberia	376	218
14	Guinea	532	208
15	Angola	332	475
16	Mali	317	—N/a
17	Burkina Faso	293	144
18	Morocco	248	—N/a
19	Cameroon	228	188
20	Equatorial Guinea	178	—N/a
21	Gambia	166	—N/a
22	Rest of Africa	330	—N/a
South America		4,693	2,261
1	Brazil	2,861	1,447
2	Venezuela	991	814
3	Colombia	273	—N/a
4	Ecuador	219	—N/a
5	Argentina	118	—N/a
6	Paraguay	67	—N/a
7	Rest of South America	164	—N/a
Other countries		2,740[20]	12,661
Total		228,356	144,406

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Launch and Mechanism

On 2 October 2025, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Youssef Rajji, officially announced the opening of the digital voter registration platform.^[22] This launch was a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, designed to implement the provisions of Lebanon's electoral law concerning non-resident citizens.

The registration period commenced immediately following the announcement, running from 2 October 2025, until 20 November 2025 (midnight Beirut time). Eligible citizens—those born on or before 30 March 2005—are required to register their intent to vote at a specific Lebanese embassy or consulate in their country of residence.

The online platform, accessible via the Foreign Ministry's official website, requires applicants to provide personal details, verify their existing information on the electoral rolls, and upload mandatory documentation:

- A Lebanese identification document (ID card, valid or expired passport, or civil status record).

- A proof of residency outside Lebanon (e.g., residency permit, foreign ID, or foreign driver's license).

The platform was intended to clarify and accelerate the registration process, particularly in anticipation of a high turnout following the significant participation observed in the 2022 elections.^[23]