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Ammon News - By Mohammad Abo Hmaed

AMMONNEWS - Voting polls throughout the kingdom opened their doors at 7 AM, with voters casting their ballots to elect a new 150-member parliament.

Over 2 million eligible voters are expected to partake, with official numbers reaching 2.27 million registered voters.

With the launch of the elections, the candidates campaigning period has concluded, with the new electoral law penalizing candidates from campaigning on election day.

Head of the Independent Elections Commission (IEC) Abdul Ilah al-Khatib held a press conference at 10:00 AM to discuss latest developments on the voting process that launched Wednesday morning.

A number of religious clerics also held a press conference Wednesday morning to reassert the prohibition of vote-buying in elections.

President of the Independent Elections Commission (IEC) Abdul Ilah Khatib said that 125,000 citizens casted their votes in the first 10 minutes for opening the ballot boxes.

Khatib said in a press conference currently held at the Royal Cultural Center that the highest voting rate was in Kerak governorate.

He said that experts have expressed satisfaction over procedures at various polling centers nationwide.

Khatib denied, in a press conference today, any violations or problems in Faqou's polling center in Karak, calling on the media to be objective and accurate in reporting events, Jordan News Agency Petra reported.

More than 2.27 million Jordanians are entitled to vote today to choose the Kingdom's 17th parliament in elections that will be monitored by over 7,000 local and foreign observers.