Vote Count Starts

Polling stations were closed at 8pm across Georgia and vote count has been launched.

The entire polling day was dominated with mutual accusations between the ruling and opposition parties.

Various opposition parties, mainly the nine-party opposition bloc, were holding press briefings almost in every hour throughout the polling day.

Opposition’s accusations mainly involved intimidation and pressure of opposition representatives at the polling stations, cases of ‘merry-go-round’ mainly in the provincial regions – although the alleged cases of multiple voting were also reported in Tbilisi as well. Several cases of scuffles at the polling station were also reported. 

The ruling party was responding by stating that elections were ongoing “in normal condition” and the opposition’s “groundless allegations” aimed at “artificial straining of the situation” to create an illusion of chaos.

Voter turnout was 41.5% by 5pm local time. Final turnout data is not yet available.

The ruling National Movement Party has 63.2% of votes in the 21 parliamentary elections, according to early results of exit poll, which have been snubbed by all the major opposition parties.
 
The nine-party opposition bloc has received 14.2% of votes, according to early exit poll results, followed by Christian-Democratic Party with 9.1%; Labor Party – 5.8% and the Republican Party – 3.6%. Other parties and blocs running in the elections had less than 2% each.

Early official results from CEC will not be available till tomorrow morning.

Clearing of 5% threshold is necessary to gain any of the 75 seats allocated through the proportional, party-list system.

All the major opposition parties have announced long before the elections that they would not trust exit polls commissioned by the four Georgian TV networks and organized by two Tbilisi-based think-tanks and two academic institutions, accusing them of being loyal towards the authorities. The opposition called on its supporters ahead of elections to boycott exist poll.
 
Remaining 75 seats will be allocated to majoritarian MPs elected in the single-mandate constituencies. A majoritarian MP candidate winning more than others and more than only 30% of the vote would be declared the outright winner in the first round without the need for a runoff.

Three election blocs and nine parties have been running in the elections; only four or five of them are likely to clear the 5% threshold necessary to gain any of the 75 seats allocated through the proportional, party-list system.