On January 20, 1996, Palestinians in Jerusalem will have the right to participate in the first Palestinian Elections as well as the Palestinians from other parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The electoral procedure however will show some differences. Some Palestinians living in the areas illegally annexed by Israel in 1980 - such as the Old City, Jerusalem City and Beit Hanina - will vote through post offices in Jerusalem. These will be the post offices of Salah-a-Din, Jaffa Gate, Shuafat, Beit Hanina and the Mount of Olives. This procedure concerns a number of voters correspending to about ten polling stations. However most of the electors in the Jerusalem constituency will vote in one of the 154 polling stations directly controlled by the Jerusalem District Election Office the same way Palestinians in the other parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are voting.
The Palestinians who will vote through post offices in Jerusalem will be notified of the relevant post office by Electoral Registration Cards provided by the Central Election Commission (CEC). On presentation of these cards the electors that present themselves in the post offices on the day of the elections will receive the two ballot papers for the election of the Ra'ees and the Council as well as two envelopes. Electors will mark the ballot papers at the post office counter, then place them in the envelopes to be inserted in special receptacles. At the end of the day, these receptacles shall be sealed and transported to the District Election Office for Jerusalem which will be responsible for the counting and totaling of the votes.
Palestinians from Jerusalem can run for seats in the Council or for the presidency. However, they are required to have a secondary residence outside Jerusalem.
The election process in Jerusalem is open to international and domestic observers.