Georgia is ready for election runoff
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The second round of the Parliamentary Elections of Georgia is taking place today.
The election runoff will be held in 50 of Georgia’s 73 election districts.
In the second round, people will vote to elect majoritarian candidates to become Members of Parliament (MPs).
A second round of vote was needed in 50 districts as no majoritarian candidates gained enough votes to enter Parliament in the first election on October 8. To enter Parliament candidates needed to win at least 50 percent of all votes in their respective voting district.
In today’s runoff, the two candidates who gained the most votes in the initial election will compete today.
Polling stations open at 8am on October 30 across the country. Photo by Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
There are 73 election districts in Georgia.
After the October 8 vote Georgian Dream (GD) candidates won outright in 23 districts while a winner was not identified in the remaining 50 districts. This meant a second round of vote was needed in 50 districts nationwide.
If two candidates gain the same number of votes in the runoff elections, the winner is the candidate who gained the most votes in the initial election held earlier this month.
Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has printed 2,226,600 ballot papers for today's vote.
Also today:
- Municipal by-elections to elect Sakrebulo (local council) members will be held in several municipalities across the country.
- Extraordinary elections will be held to elect the Mayor of Akhaltsikhe in Georgia’s south.
- Gamgebeli (local governors) elections will also be held in several municipalities.
The second round of Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections will be observed by a range of international and local organisations.
The British and the Netherlands Embassies stated today they will observe the second round of Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections on Sunday.
Today Georgia’s Minister of Internal Affairs said the agency was "fully mobilised not to let any complications” occur during this weekend’s second round of voting.
Over 2.2m ballot papers printed for October 30 vote
Georgia’s Central Election Commission has started printing ballot papers for the October 30 second round of Parliamentary Elections. A total of 2,226,600 ballot papers will be printed for the election runoff.
Three former members of opposition Free Democrats party are urging their supporters to vote for the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party majoritarian candidates on October 30 in the second round of Parliamentary Elections.
All polling stations are open to voters
Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has hosted its first information briefing announcing the opening of polling booths for today’s election runoff. Earlier today CEC spokesperson Ani Mikeladze said all polling stations for the second round of elections opened at 8am.
One of the country’s leading non-governmental organisations monitoring the Second Round of Elections says the electoral process is smooth and peaceful today.
Voter turnout at today’s second round of the 2016 Parliamentary Elections reached almost five percent by 10am.
International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), one of key Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) in Georgia, says the Second Round of Parliamentary Elections is better organised than the first round was.
The President of Georgia has cast his vote in the Second Round of the 2016 Parliamentary Elections and he is urging eligible voters to get out and have their say.
Over 300,000 people have voted in today's second round of the 2016 Parliamentary Elections. CEC spokesperson Ani Mikeladze said voter turnout by 12pm was 12.71 percent.