Lebanese women show their support for Saad Al-Hariri during an election campaign in Beirut (Reuters)

Nineteen seats are in theory up for grabs in the capital, but nine candidates on Hariri's lists have already been elected by default after rivals failed to appear or dropped out.

Saad's lists are widely expected to win all 10 other seats in Beirut and experts say this situation will keep turnout lower than the level of 33.8 percent in the last elections in 2000.

"This is the first time that we are voting freely, we are opening a new page, the page of national reconciliation," said Gibran Tueini, editor-in-chief of the An-Nahar newspaper and a Greek Orthodox candidate on Hariri's list.

"It cannot be that we have more people voting under the (Syrian) occupation," he said.

Dozens of vehicles sporting candidates' pictures were seen gathering at various meeting points across the capital to offer free transport to voters from their homes to the polling stations.

Outside polling stations in the Christian quarter of Ashrafiyeh, followers of former exiled General Michel Aoun -- who recently fell out with Hariri and his Muslim allies in the opposition -- wore T-shirts reading: "do not vote."

During the last legislative elections in 2000, the lists backed by Hariri -- who was in the opposition at the time -- won a landslide victory in all three Beirut constituencies.

The shadow of slain Hariri looms large over the first round of legislative polls in Beirut.

"In people's conscience, Rafiq Hariri is unfortunately bigger dead than alive. These elections have turned into a plebiscite," political analyst Samir Qassir said.

The capital is drowning under giant portraits of the late Hariri, whose posters even cover the entire facades of buildings.

A seafront restaurant has covered its whole facade with a fresco representing Hariri smiling from above the clouds down onto his son Saad.

"If you want the truth about the assassination of our Rafiq, and if you want to find the murderers, vote for the lists of the martyr of independence," some banners read.

"Read the Fathia and vote for the Hariri lists," said others, referring to the opening verse of the Noble Qur'an.

Saad has forged alliances with other major players in the elections and mainly with his father's political partner, Druze opposition leader MP Walid Jumblatt.

Jumblatt, a long-time political ally of the Hariri family, is expected to see his candidates sweep the board in his mountain strongholds of the Shouf and Aley-Baabda, southeast of the capital.

Jumblatt, who has secured a seat in parliament even before voters go to the polls, has forged links with Amal, led by powerful parliament speaker Nabih Berri, and Hezbollah movements both of which are due to win with joint lists in Shiite strongholds in southern and eastern Lebanon.