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| Saudi Elections Are First to Include Women as Voters and Candidates | Saudi Elections Are First to Include Women as Voters and Candidates |
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| RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — There were no public debates, few campaign posters and no scandals. Candidates did not hawk their platforms or undermine their rivals on television. And they risked disqualification for speaking to journalists. | RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — There were no public debates, few campaign posters and no scandals. Candidates did not hawk their platforms or undermine their rivals on television. And they risked disqualification for speaking to journalists. |
| But a small minority of Saudi citizens went to the polls on Saturday for a rare exercise in democracy, or at least its closest equivalent in a country ruled by an absolute monarch and according to Shariah law. | But a small minority of Saudi citizens went to the polls on Saturday for a rare exercise in democracy, or at least its closest equivalent in a country ruled by an absolute monarch and according to Shariah law. |
| The elections for members of local councils across the kingdom marked the first time that women were able to participate — as both voters and candidates — and rights activists lauded the move as further expanding the role of Saudi women in public life. The rules were largely the same for candidates of both genders. | The elections for members of local councils across the kingdom marked the first time that women were able to participate — as both voters and candidates — and rights activists lauded the move as further expanding the role of Saudi women in public life. The rules were largely the same for candidates of both genders. |
| “It is very important, with all its problems,” said Hatoon al-Fassi, a Saudi professor of women’s history, who helped organize workshops for female candidates until the government told her to stop. (It said the advice gave the women an unfair advantage, she said.) | “It is very important, with all its problems,” said Hatoon al-Fassi, a Saudi professor of women’s history, who helped organize workshops for female candidates until the government told her to stop. (It said the advice gave the women an unfair advantage, she said.) |
| “This is a big step that we are making the best of and that we are going to build on to ask for more rights,” Ms. Fassi said. | “This is a big step that we are making the best of and that we are going to build on to ask for more rights,” Ms. Fassi said. |
| The elections come at a time of great social change in Saudi Arabia, a close ally of the United States. The political system remains closed and dominated by the royal family, and no one expects that average Saudis will soon play a role in choosing the officials — all men — who run their country’s economic, military and foreign affairs. | The elections come at a time of great social change in Saudi Arabia, a close ally of the United States. The political system remains closed and dominated by the royal family, and no one expects that average Saudis will soon play a role in choosing the officials — all men — who run their country’s economic, military and foreign affairs. |
| But the highly religious and conservative society is changing, with more women working outside the home, a large youth population and some of the world’s highest use of social media, making Saudis more acquainted with the rest of the world and eroding resistance to change. | But the highly religious and conservative society is changing, with more women working outside the home, a large youth population and some of the world’s highest use of social media, making Saudis more acquainted with the rest of the world and eroding resistance to change. |
| The election’s proponents acknowledge that few women, if any, are likely to win. But they see their participation as one small step in a gradual — some would say glacial — process of reform. While women are still barred from driving and subject to so-called guardianship laws that keep them from marrying, traveling or receiving some medical procedures without the consent of a male relative, some rules are not enforced as strictly as before. | |
| One sign of shifting attitudes toward female roles has been the limited criticisms by religious conservatives of women’s participation in the local councils, a move the previous monarch, King Abdullah, promised in 2011 and which the current king, Salman, allowed to proceed. | One sign of shifting attitudes toward female roles has been the limited criticisms by religious conservatives of women’s participation in the local councils, a move the previous monarch, King Abdullah, promised in 2011 and which the current king, Salman, allowed to proceed. |
| But a range of interviews with Saudis suggested that resistance to female participation was less common than old-fashioned voter apathy, which is rampant in a country with no history of competitive politics. | But a range of interviews with Saudis suggested that resistance to female participation was less common than old-fashioned voter apathy, which is rampant in a country with no history of competitive politics. |
| “Why would I vote?” asked Yezid al-Qahtani, a middle school teacher shopping in a Riyadh mall. | |
| Unlike most people interviewed, he had registered for a previous election, and therefore could cast a vote, but did not plan to because he considered the councils ineffective. | Unlike most people interviewed, he had registered for a previous election, and therefore could cast a vote, but did not plan to because he considered the councils ineffective. |
| “Who has the power to carry things out?” he asked. “Princes and ministers. That’s it.” | “Who has the power to carry things out?” he asked. “Princes and ministers. That’s it.” |
| Saudi Arabia’s local councils handle municipal issues, and candidates focused on hyper-local concerns: streets, lighting, parks and medical facilities. | Saudi Arabia’s local councils handle municipal issues, and candidates focused on hyper-local concerns: streets, lighting, parks and medical facilities. |
| One female candidate in Riyadh, Haifa Alhababi, highlighted the importance of urban design, running a zero-waste campaign through social media about ways that her district could be improved. | One female candidate in Riyadh, Haifa Alhababi, highlighted the importance of urban design, running a zero-waste campaign through social media about ways that her district could be improved. |
| Ms. Alhababi, an architecture professor, acknowledged that many voters would hesitate to vote for a woman, but said she had run partly “to give an example to the next generation.” | Ms. Alhababi, an architecture professor, acknowledged that many voters would hesitate to vote for a woman, but said she had run partly “to give an example to the next generation.” |
| “There are a lot of men and women who are not happy to have a female candidate or for the females to have a voice, but our government is more advanced than the people,” she said. | “There are a lot of men and women who are not happy to have a female candidate or for the females to have a voice, but our government is more advanced than the people,” she said. |
| Just under 1.5 million of Saudi Arabia’s roughly 20 million citizens have registered to vote, according to the election commission, and only 11 percent of them are women. Voters must be at least 18 years old and cannot be in the military. The commission lacks official statistics on the number of eligible voters. | Just under 1.5 million of Saudi Arabia’s roughly 20 million citizens have registered to vote, according to the election commission, and only 11 percent of them are women. Voters must be at least 18 years old and cannot be in the military. The commission lacks official statistics on the number of eligible voters. |
| The election’s 6,900 candidates include 979 women competing for 2,112 seats on 284 local councils. Two-thirds of the councils’ members are elected, an increase from one-half in the last election. Another third are appointed by the government. | The election’s 6,900 candidates include 979 women competing for 2,112 seats on 284 local councils. Two-thirds of the councils’ members are elected, an increase from one-half in the last election. Another third are appointed by the government. |
| Saudi officials have called the elections democratic, but some Western scholars argue that the presence of pseudo-democratic institutions actually makes autocratic rulers more durable. | |
| Rules imposed on the campaign gave it a profoundly different flavor from the big-money, splashy campaigns common in the United States. | Rules imposed on the campaign gave it a profoundly different flavor from the big-money, splashy campaigns common in the United States. |
| After a debate about whether women, who are not supposed to socialize with unrelated men, could use their photos on campaign materials, the government banned all candidates from using their photos, arguing that this promoted equality. | After a debate about whether women, who are not supposed to socialize with unrelated men, could use their photos on campaign materials, the government banned all candidates from using their photos, arguing that this promoted equality. |
| Candidates could not give interviews — again, because the government said that would unfairly benefit those with media connections. | Candidates could not give interviews — again, because the government said that would unfairly benefit those with media connections. |
| Some candidates held campaign events, but since women could not meet male voters face-to-face, they spoke from behind partitions or via P.A. systems from separate rooms. | Some candidates held campaign events, but since women could not meet male voters face-to-face, they spoke from behind partitions or via P.A. systems from separate rooms. |
| And in the run-up to the vote, some well-known activists had their candidacies rejected. One of them, Lujain al-Hathlool, who recently spent time in prison for trying to drive a car into the kingdom, appealed the decision and was allowed to run. | |
| “I’m back in the game!” she said on Twitter. | “I’m back in the game!” she said on Twitter. |
| Few candidates complained about the regulations, as they are used to the kingdom’s strict rules on gender segregation. | |
| “You are more important than your face,” said Randa Baraja, a female candidate in Riyadh. | “You are more important than your face,” said Randa Baraja, a female candidate in Riyadh. |
| Like many candidates, she complemented her public events with a social media campaign, she said. An online poll helped her to set priorities: a cultural center for youth, more child care for working mothers and licenses for food and beverage carts. | Like many candidates, she complemented her public events with a social media campaign, she said. An online poll helped her to set priorities: a cultural center for youth, more child care for working mothers and licenses for food and beverage carts. |
| She said women could serve their communities as well as men — if not better. | She said women could serve their communities as well as men — if not better. |
| “Usually the female looks at the details,” she said. “She is picky, and follows up until things are done, so we think this will help the country.” | “Usually the female looks at the details,” she said. “She is picky, and follows up until things are done, so we think this will help the country.” |
| Voter turnout was low. Journalists and election workers clearly outnumbered voters during a visit to a Riyadh polling station organized by the Saudi Information Ministry. | |
| On the men’s side, only seven voters came through in 35 minutes, one of them followed by eight photographers and cameramen. | On the men’s side, only seven voters came through in 35 minutes, one of them followed by eight photographers and cameramen. |
| A candidate who dropped by, Abdullah Alharbi, said he was a retired officer from the Ministry of Defense and wanted to make life better in his community. | A candidate who dropped by, Abdullah Alharbi, said he was a retired officer from the Ministry of Defense and wanted to make life better in his community. |
| He did not oppose working with female colleagues, he said, as long as it was done “within the principles of Shariah.” | He did not oppose working with female colleagues, he said, as long as it was done “within the principles of Shariah.” |
| By midafternoon, only a few dozen voters had come to polling place for women in north Riyadh, an election worker there said. Four police cars were parked out front, and women dressed in baggy black gowns arrived occasionally to cast their votes. | By midafternoon, only a few dozen voters had come to polling place for women in north Riyadh, an election worker there said. Four police cars were parked out front, and women dressed in baggy black gowns arrived occasionally to cast their votes. |
| Wujoud Saleh, a 27-year-old housewife, said she was excited to be voting, but would not vote for a woman because she had doubts about their ability to perform. | Wujoud Saleh, a 27-year-old housewife, said she was excited to be voting, but would not vote for a woman because she had doubts about their ability to perform. |
| “I know the man and I don’t know the woman,” she said, speaking through a black veil. “I won’t vote for someone I don’t know.” | “I know the man and I don’t know the woman,” she said, speaking through a black veil. “I won’t vote for someone I don’t know.” |