Andrea Rodríguez, ABC News
Photo Credit: Luis Robayo/AFP, Getty

Cuba on Monday began a five-month political transition expected to end with Raul Castro's departure from the presidency, capping his family's near-total dominance of the country's political system for nearly 60 years.

Over the rest of this month, Cubans will meet in small groups to nominate municipal representatives, the first in a series of votes for local, provincial and, finally, national officials. Cuban officials say 12,515 block-level districts will nominate candidates for city council elections Oct. 22.