The second round of municipal and mukhtar elections has kicked off on Sunday in Mount Lebanon.

Lebanese were on Sunday voting in the second round of municipal and muktar elections. The turnout in Mount Lebanon was relatively high, according to official figures released by the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities. 

In a statement issued by the Lebanese ministry, votes have reached 34 percentage at 3:00 p.m. in Mount Lebanon.

"Votes have reached 34.33 % in Mount Lebanon as follows: 40% in Jbeil, 31.20% in Metn, 35% in Chouf, 40.80% in Keserwan, 30% in Aley, and 29% in Baabda," National News Agency quoted the ministry as saying.

Earlier, Interior and Municipalities Minister, Nouhad Mashnouk, hailed what he described as an "excellent" electoral atmosphere.

"The atmosphere is excellent and the number of voters has reached 15%," the Minister said as he was visiting Jounieh Serail.

As for claims about electoral money being used to buy votes in some regions, the Minister confirmed 3 cases and asserted that appropriate measures have been taken to handle the matter at the security, judicial, and administrative levels, NNA reported.

The vote comes one week after the first round took place in Beirut and east Lebanon.

Polling stations opened this morning before 834,768 voters amid stringent security measures by the Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese army, which will also be monitoring the electoral process in polling stations and on highways.

Elections in around 20 municipalities have already been decided by acclamation, however battles are taking place in the key areas of Jounieh, Sin al-Fil, Baabda, Hadath, Ghobeiri and others.

The mostly-peaceful municipal elections in Beirut, the Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel district marked the first polls to be held on time since the last municipal polls in 2010.

Similar elections are planned for the South Lebanon and Nabatieh governorates on May 22, and the North Lebanon and Akkar governorates on May 29.