Georgia's CEC: preliminary voter turnout in the parliamentary elections amounted to 58.94%

Tbilisi, November 1, 2020

According to preliminary data from the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia, voter turnout in the parliamentary elections amounted to 58.94%, with 1,525,511 ballots cast.

Armenian and Azerbaijani citizens among observers

The elections were monitored by over 40,000 observers, including international representatives from 59 countries and 35 international organizations. Among the foreign observers were representatives from Armenia and Azerbaijan. According to media reports, they had the opportunity to visit the polling stations in Georgia and assess the voting process.

Results expected Tuesday at 20:00

The CEC is expected to announce the final results of the elections on Tuesday at 20:00 local time. The ruling Georgian Dream party is in the lead, followed by the opposition United National Movement party. The turnout was significantly lower than in the previous parliamentary elections of 2016, when it reached 61.07%. This is the first parliamentary election in Georgia since the constitutional amendments entered into force in December 2018 that changed the country's electoral system to a proportional one.

The elections were held despite the coronavirus pandemic

The elections were held amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic with special safety measures in place at polling stations. The number of polling stations was increased by nearly 10%, to 3,714, while the number of precinct election commissions increased to 14,856. As a result, parliamentary elections were held for the first time in several villages of the Gali, Ochamchire, and Zugdidi districts of Abkhazia, as well as in the village of Khurcha in the Akhalgori district. For safety reasons, the CEC did not open polling stations in the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which are controlled by the Russian Federation and the de facto government of Abkhazia, respectively.

Opposition parties critical of the elections

The opposition has criticized the elections, alleging irregularities. Several opposition parties have already announced that they will not recognize the results of the elections. The Georgian Dream party has denied the allegations and said that the elections were fair and transparent. Several international organizations, including the OSCE and the Council of Europe, have also sent observers to monitor the elections. The OSCE's preliminary report on the parliamentary elections is expected to be released on Tuesday.