Bahrain went to the polls on Saturday to elect a new parliament for the second time in four years, amid opposition allegations of electoral malpractices by the government.
Around three lakh Bahrainis are eligible to vote in the elections, which will put 40 MPs and an equal number of councillors into parliament and five municipal councils, voting for which will also be held in this round.
While 206 candidates are in fray for parliament, 165 will try their luck for the municipal councils.
Voters can cast their ballots at 50 polling stations around the country regardless of their constituency.
It is the second time people have been able to vote for representatives at a national level under a new system introduced by the King of Bahrain.
One seat in the 40-strong chamber has already gone to Latifa al-Qouhoud, who was voted unopposed from her constituency, making her the first female MP in the kingdom's history.
Early elections have already been held in 22 embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions around the world.
A second round, if required, will be held at the diplomatic missions abroad on Tuesday and in Bahrain next Saturday.
The Islamic National Accord Association, a major Shia formation in the kingdom, is fielding 17 candidates, while the leftist National Democratic Action Association has put forward six candidates.
Both boycotted the 2002 polls, protesting the split of legislative powers between the parliament and an equally numbered upper chamber appointed by the monarch.
The Shia Muslim opposition groups have accused the Sunni dominated government of making attempts to rig the parliamentary and municipal elections.
Sheikh Ali Salman, leader of Al Wegaq National Islamic Society, which represents the Kingdom's majority Shias, said on Friday that his group would know whether the polls have been rigged if it did not win at least 13 seats.
Groups of youth gathered in a poor Shia area of the capital Manama late Friday night, burning tyres and stopping traffic.
Witnesses said police used batons to disperse the protestors, arresting about eight.
