Municipal elections were held in Benghazi on 19 May.[2] More than 200,000 people registered to vote in Benghazi, and 414 candidates stood for election for the 41 free seats in the 44-member City Council.[3] These are the first elections of their kind in Benghazi since the 1960s.[4] Given the large number of candidates, there has been not very much time for them to campaign and present their views to the people of the 11 Districts of Benghazi.[5]