With 2026 elections uncertain, Lebanese abroad face tough voting choices

Report by Maroun Nassif, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

As soon as Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry announced the launch of an online platform for expatriates to register to vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2026, diaspora groups responded with a clear message.

Diaspora groups said they do not encourage expatriates to register unless they are certain they cannot travel to Lebanon in May 2026, urging others to wait while efforts continue to amend the electoral law that limits non-residents to voting for only six MPs.

Hezbollah and the Amal Movement oppose allowing expatriates to vote for all 128 MPs, arguing it would create unequal opportunities and noting that the group is listed on terrorism blacklists and cannot campaign abroad.

Some expatriates, however, believe that traveling to Lebanon to vote in Hezbollah strongholds such as Beirut's southern suburbs, south Lebanon, and the Bekaa could expose them to political pressure.

Analysts say the diaspora’s expectation that parliament will amend the electoral law to allow them to vote for all 128 MPs in their districts is misplaced. 

Deputy Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Elias Bou Saab, suspended the work of the subcommittee tasked with reviewing draft amendments, citing a boycott by the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb Party. 

Diaspora registration has begun, but there are no serious indications that the parliamentary elections will be held on time. 

Observers note that foreign powers and their political allies in Lebanon seek Hezbollah’s political defeat as much as its military one. As long as the current electoral law does not achieve that, they say, Lebanese should expect the elections to be postponed, possibly indefinitely.