Elections 2016: Georgian inmates vote at 10 polling stations
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Inmates in a handful of Georgia's prisons are able to vote today in the Parliamentary Elections of Georgia.
Ten special polling stations were opened at 11 penitentiary facilities throughout the country, operated by the Ministry of Corrections of Georgia. In one case, two facilities were united as one polling station.
The voting stations opened this morning at 8am and since then the voting process has been peaceful, said the Corrections Ministry.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) said the voter turnout at the penitentiary facilities was "quite high”.
As well as eligible inmates, Corrections Ministry staff working on Election Day could vote at any of the 10 polling stations.
Corrections Ministry staff working on Election Day also voted at any of the 10 polling stations. Photo by Georgia's Ministry of Corrections.
The voting stations were established in exceptional circumstances in penitentiary facilities, in accordance with Georgian legislation.
Georgian legislation also determined which inmates were eligible to vote; people accused who were yet to face trial and prisoners convicted of minor offences were eligible to vote. Inmates who committed serious crimes were not permitted to vote.
The CEC was hosting the voting process in Georgia's prisons.
Polling booths in prisons are being observed by local and international observers, including the OSCE, the Office for Democratic Institutions as well as representatives of the Human Rights Election Observation Mission.
The set-up, opening and operations of polling stations throughout Georgia took place this morning without any substantial violations, say observers from the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED).
By 12pm, almost 700,000 people (or 19.81 percent) had voted in Georgia's Parliamentary Elections, said Central Election Commission spokesperson Ana Mikeladze.
It's been four hours since polling stations opened and so far the environment is peaceful and orderly, says Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, a leading local non-governmental organisation.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has cast his ballot in today's Parliamentary Elections and voted for Georgia’s "European future and fast economic development.”Kvirikashvili went on to say his choice promoted health and better education for the country’s youth.
Inmates in penitentiary facilities across Georgia are participating in the October 21 municipal elections by voting for city council members and mayors at polling stations and boxes provided to their locations.