People stand in line outside a voting station in Ziguinchor on July 31, 2022. (MUHAMADOU BITTAYE / AFP)

DAKAR - Senegal kicked off legislative elections at 8 am Sunday (local time and GMT) to elect 165 new deputies to the National Assembly for a five-year term across national territory and abroad.

Some seven million Senegalese people, including 300,000 living abroad, are expected to vote until 6 pm, in the 15,500 polling stations and 7,000 polling places open for them.

The vote takes place under the supervision of national and international observers, including those from the Economic Community of West African States.