Turnout: Almost 20% of voters appear at ballot box by 12pm

Almost 700,000 voters throughout the country had cast their vote in the Parliamentary Elections by 12pm this afternoon.

A short time ago Central Election Commission (CEC) spokesperson Ana Mikeladze said voter turnout was 19.81 percent at 12pm - four hours after polling stations opened across the country.

These figures meant by midday, 695,948 citizens had voted.

Mikeladze said the voting process was underway in a calm environment and without any major problems.

Meanwhile by 10am this morning, voter turnout was 8.34 percent.

In comparison, during the 2012 Parliamentary Elections voter turnout by 10am was 10.66 percent and by 12pm it was 25.88 percent.

Today Georgians will vote to elect the 150-seat Parliament of Georgia, 77 members through party lists and 73 in the majoritarian districts.

19 political parties and 6 election blocs are running in the race.

People will also vote to elect lawmakers in the 21-member Supreme Council of Adjara, Georgia’s western Autonomous Republic, in six election constituencies, as well as local authorities in some locations as several local officials had to quit posts for their participation in the elections.