Elections 2016: 42% voter turnout by 5pm

Less than half of the country's population has voted in today's Parliamentary Elections, but don't despair because some time remains before the ballot boxes close.

By 5pm, more than 1.4 million citizens had cast their vote, said the Central Election Commission (CEC) in its latest media update.

More specifically, 1,477,562 citizens had voted between 8am and 5pm today. This was 42.05 percent voter turnout, said CEC spokesperson Ana Mikeladze.

In Georgia’s capital Tbilisi the highest voter turnout was evident. 

• The second majoritarian district in Vake had 48.1 percent voter turnout.
• The fifth and sixth majoritarian districts in Saburtalo had 47.1 percent and 47.8 percent voter turnout respectfully.

So far the smallest voter turnout was at the ninth majoritarian district of Isani. 

Regionally, the highest voter turnout was in Lanchkuti where 55.7 percent of people registered at the 60th majoritarian district had voted as of 5pm. This was followed Vani and Ambrolauri districts.

From 8am to 7pm today Georgian citizens are voting 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.