Georgian election administration to launch public information campaign on electronic voting

Georgia’s election administration will launch a “large-scale” public information campaign starting next week to raise awareness among voters to the newly introduced technology ahead of the upcoming 2024 Parliamentary Elections.

Giorgi Kalandarishvili, the Chair of the Central Election Commission, on Friday said the body would introduce devices to be used in the voting with information presented in public spaces and higher education institutions.

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Kalandarishvili said citizens would be able to “see and test in practice” the verification and vote counting process with the devices. Advertising video materials about electronic voting, procedures and technologies, as well as special brochures have already been prepared to be distributed among voters.

In addition to the campaign, the CEC is offering voters to take part in a simulated electronic voting online via the body’s official website for a testing of the operation of the devices.

Kalandarishvili also added the body was “fully ready” to hold the Parliamentary Elections on October 26 the next year “in accordance with international standards”.

The official also revealed survey results conducted in 16 municipalities, which he said showed “positive evaluations” of the introduction of the new voting system.

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Irakli Kobakhidze, the chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, in September said the ruling team’s decision on a “widespread introduction” of electronic voter registration and the voting system would start with the 2024 Elections.

Kobakhidze noted the novelty was coming as part of the Government’s “active work” on the implementation of the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union, which include revision of the domestic election code.