Residents of Bahrain are voting Saturday for the first time since a 2011 pro-democracy uprising.

However, opposition groups, including al-Wefaq - the country's most popular Shi'ite group - are urging supporters to boycott the polls.

Al-Wefaq has dismissed the electoral process as a "farce" and warned that failure by the kingdom's rulers to loosen their grip on power could trigger a surge in violence.

Candidates are running for municipal and parliamentary seats. A runoff election will be held in a week for any candidate who does not win more than 50 percent of the vote.