Presidential election: voting closed with 56.23% voter turnout
Latest update on voter turnout was announced at a Central Election Commission briefing. Photo: CEC.
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The Central Election Commission of Georgia has reported a 56.23 percent voter turnout for the runoff of presidential election in the country following the closing of polling stations at 8pm local time.
At a 9:30pm press briefing, reporters were told by CEC spokesperson 1,975,845 citizens had cast their votes during the election day, not including voters abroad.
A live video feed of the counting of votes at CEC is available below:
The Commission's update also said the election process throughout the day had been "calm and without extraordinary violations".
Votes from stations serving Georgian peacekeeping troops in Afghanistan are also being counted along with bulletins cast in Georgia.
The CEC expects to have initial results of the election around 2am local time.
1,662,453 voters, accounting for 47.31% of the total number of voters, cast their ballots in the presidential runoff by 5 p.m., three hours before the polling stations will be closed, announces the Central Election Commission (CEC).
Imedi TV and opposition-minded Rustavi 2 private broadcasters have released the outcomes of exit polls, both saying that the Georgian Dream ruling party endorsed presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili has won the elections.
Zurabishvili leads with 59.56%, Vashadze receives - 40.44%
The Georgian Dream ruling party endorsed independent presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili is winning the elections according to the results of the counted 3,683 ordinary and 11 special polling stations - or 99.7% of polling stations.
The non-governmental organisation Georgian Young Lawyers Association has asked the Central Election Commission to suspend voting at a polling station in the city of Marneuli following reports of violations during the election process.
Grigol Vashadze, the candidate of the opposition for the presidential election runoff, has reacted to exit poll results by vowing to wait for “final results” of voting and alleging “unprecedented” levels of voter mobilisation by the ruling party.
France is ready to cooperate with Georgia’s newly elected president Salome Zurabishvili to strengthen relations between the two countries, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite have also congratulated Zurabishvili on her election as President of Georgia.