Businesses offer voters special discounts

Nine businesses are supporting an inventive initiative to encourage voters to take part in the 2014 municipal election runoff.

International fast-food outlets McDonald and Wendy’s and seven local companies (three pharmacies, two supermarkets and two oil companies) are offering a special discount up to 20 percent to people to part in Saturday’s runoff elections.

At the end of voting day, people who have a special mark on their finger can go to participating outlets and receive discounts on various products.

The idea was generated from the companies involved as a way to stimulate the election environment and encourage participation in the runoff elections, which are scheduled to be held on Saturday, July 12.

The notion was welcomed by the Central Election Commission (CEC).

CEC spokesperson Eka Arazashvili emphasized that the behaviour from the businesses involved was legal and the idea had not been generated by the CEC.

"At first glance, this serves to increase the number of participants in the elections however businesses will also want to use this for commercial purposes. This is not prohibited by Election Law. We are welcoming the idea if such activities increase the number of participants in the elections,” Arazashvili said.

The total vote turnout for the June 15 elections was about 43 percent, which was assessed as "quite low” by local and international officials.