How Syria’s post-Assad election works and who can vote

Syria has entered electoral silence on Saturday ahead of its first parliamentary vote since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, set for Sunday, in what is being described as a key test of President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s transitional government.

The election comes amid public disillusionment, ongoing violence, and the exclusion of large parts of the country from the process.

The New Arab takes a closer look at elections that could indicate exactly what future Syria faces after the fall of Assad. 

Voting preparations and promises of transparency

Nawar Najmeh, spokesperson for the Supreme Election Committee, said that polling stations were ready to receive voters and that voting would be conducted "in a secret and direct manner” across all districts.

Speaking to Syrian state media, he said local, Arab, and international outlets had been authorised to observe the process, adding that "ballot boxes will be opened and counting will begin immediately after polls close, with preliminary results appearing progressively at the provincial level".

A complex electoral structure

Under the transitional framework, the new parliament will consist of 210 members. According to the interim constitution, 140 will be selected through local subcommittees and electoral bodies, while the remaining 70 will be appointed by presidential decree.

Officials say this hybrid system balances professional expertise with social representation, but critics argue that it consolidates power within the presidency.

The assembly’s term will last 30 months, renewable once, as part of a four-year transitional roadmap that can be extended by an additional year. The parliament will hold legislative powers and the authority to approve the national budget, ratify treaties, and issue general amnesties.

Regions excluded from the vote

The election is taking place in exceptional circumstances.

Three provinces - Raqqa, Hasakah, and Suweida - remain outside government control, while millions of Syrians are displaced internally or abroad. Reuters reported that polling will not be held in these provinces, raising questions about inclusivity and representation.

Many displaced Syrians lack updated documents or access to their home districts, and no overseas voting system has been established for refugees, leaving a large share of the population unable to participate.

Analysts say the new assembly’s composition will determine how the transitional government prioritises reconstruction and governance in a fractured state.

Violence and withdrawals overshadow campaign

In the lead-up to the vote, a string of violent incidents has shaken western Syria.

In Tartus, parliamentary candidate Dr Haidar Younis Shahin was shot dead in his home in the village of Mi’ar Shakir, according to Al Hadath and Sky News Arabia.

In the Homs countryside, two young men were killed in Wadi al-Nasara, an attack that triggered protests and local demands for tighter control over unlicensed weapons, Asharq al-Awsat reported.

Activists also reported multiple candidate withdrawals. Pharmacist Eva Hanna Allati, running in Homs’ Talkalakh district, announced on Facebook: "Because the public interest, Syrian unity, and Syria itself come above all else, I announce my withdrawal from the parliamentary race."

Dr Ghassan Youssef al-Shami issued a statement calling on the next parliament to "enact laws to control the proliferation of weapons and end the cycle of violence," while engineer Nihad Ali, a former Sednaya Prison detainee and candidate from Tartus, wrote that his withdrawal was "a personal decision reflecting faith in the younger generation’s ability to lead the future."

Lawyer Naeem Qbeib told The New Arab's Arabic edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that while electoral law permits withdrawals before registration closes, "the recent wave of resignations reflects the scale of the security challenges facing both candidates and voters". He said the state must "guarantee safe elections and protect participants," warning that "continued lawlessness threatens civil peace and the credibility of the process".

Muted campaigning and public apathy

The election commission in Wadi al-Nasara released a statement condemning the killings and urging authorities to prosecute “those inciting violence on social media,” while pledging to “fulfil its electoral duty responsibly to elect a parliament capable of approving a constitution and laws that ensure stability and economic recovery.”

Despite official assurances, campaigning has remained subdued. AP and The Washington Post reported that many residents in Damascus said they were unaware that an election was taking place.

Most candidates have relied on generic slogans and social media imagery heavy with patriotic motifs but light on substance.

Syrian journalist Nour Milhem observed that much of the campaign material was "copied between provinces with only minor changes", leaving voters feeling "the focus is on image rather than on practical solutions".

A test of Syria's transition

Sunday’s vote is being framed by officials as a milestone in Syria’s recovery, but analysts at Chatham House warn it risks becoming a "top-down exercise" if the new parliament lacks real authority.

With millions unable to vote, violence continuing, and many candidates withdrawing, the election will serve as an early gauge of whether the Sharaa government can deliver on its promises of inclusion and transparency - or whether Syria's post-Assad politics remain undermined by control and uncertainty.