Extraordinary, by-elections being held in Georgia’s 10 municipalities using electronic voting
The electronic voting is underway at 117 polling stations, out of the total of 165, Ioseliani said, noting that at the remaining 48 stations the elections would be held using the existing procedure and ballot papers would be digitised. Manual vote counting will also be provided to ensure “transparency and reliability”, she added. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Extraordinary and by-elections are being held in Georgia’s ten municipalities on Saturday, with voters set to elect a majoritarian member of the Parliament in Poti, Senaki and Khobi, majoritarian members of city councils (Sakrebulo) in Gurjaani, Tianeti, Akhaltsikhe, Tkibuli and Kutaisi, as well as mayors of Tsageri and Terjola, using “large-scale” electronic voting for the first time in the country.
Natia Ioseliani, the Central Election Commission’s Spokesperson, highlighted the “significance” of these elections, calling it “the most important stage” in the history of Georgian elections. She called on all parties involved in the elections to work together for the “successful implementation” of the EA. “We should together support the holding of elections by using electronic technologies in compliance with international standards since elections are a common cause”.
The electronic voting is underway at 117 polling stations, out of the total of 165, Ioseliani said, noting that at the remaining 48 stations the elections would be held using the existing procedure and ballot papers would be digitised. Manual vote counting will also be provided to ensure “transparency and reliability”, she added.
“The members of the relevant election commissions have undergone multi-stage training in the direction of legislative innovations and the use of electronic technologies, and they are fully ready to serve the voters at a high professional level”, Ioseliani stressed, emphasising an “unprecedented number” of international observers would observe the elections.
Rati Ionatamishvili, an MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the new initiative for introducing electronic voting in elections in the country could cover 90 percent of voters instead of initially offered 70 for the 2024 parliamentary elections, with the remaining ballot papers being instantly digitised and uploaded online after their retrieval from ballot boxes.
Givi Mikanadze, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the introduction of electronic voter registration and voting in the country starting with the 2024 parliamentary elections was a “qualitatively new electoral system” of a “top standard”, in comments to critical reactions to the initiative by a part of the domestic opposition.
Speaker of the Georgian parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said the introduction of an electronic voter registration and voting system starting with the 2024 parliamentary elections in the country would leave “no room for speculation”.
Aleksandre Rakviashvili, an MP from the Girchi opposition party, on Tuesday welcomed the ruling Georgian Dream party’s announcement on introducing electronic voter registration and voting starting with the 2024 Parliamentary elections in the country, calling the move a “step forward” for ensuring a fairer electoral environment.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday summarised the extraordinary elections and by-elections held in ten municipalities of Georgia and said the ruling party had improved the results of 2021 municipal elections in all electoral districts.
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday claimed the credibility and political support for the domestic opposition had been “diminished to zero”, following a round of elections and by-elections in 10 municipalities across the country.
Interim parliamentary and mayoral elections will be held on Sunday, with voters set to elect a majoritarian member of the Parliament in Gori and Kaspi, as well as the mayor of Gurjaani, using an electronic voting system, the Central Election Commission said on Saturday.