TRIPOLI, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Libya's Higher Commission of Elections announced on Monday to extend the registration of voters abroad for the upcoming elections to March 12.

"In light of the poor voter registration abroad, and to provide opportunity for Libyan citizens living abroad for more participation, the registration of voters abroad has been extended until March 12," the Commission said in a statement.

"The extension was based on requests of Libyans residing abroad, who have not been able to register so far due to some technical difficulties," the Commission added, urging Libyan voters abroad to register quickly.

The number of Libyan voters abroad is estimated at less than 5,000 since the registration opened on Feb. 1.

The Commission recently announced that more than 2.4 million voters at home have been registered, which represents 50 percent of eligible voters in the country.

Last November, UN Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame announced that the UN Mission in Libya was seeking to ensure the elections to be held before the end of September 2018.

The elections are part of an action plan proposed by Salame last September to end the Libyan political crisis.