Polls Closed, Vote Count Underway

Vote count is underway after polls closed in the runoff elections on October 30.
 
37.5% of 2,478,042 voters registered in 50 single-mandate constituencies turned out at polling stations, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC). The figure is lower compared to turnout of 51.63% during the October 8 parliamentary elections.

According to CEC, elections were held in a calm atmosphere and, in overall, voters were able to express their will freely. CEC will start posting the precinct results on its website (results.cec.gov.ge) as they come in.

Runoffs were also held in the Supreme Council of Adjara Autonomous Republic. GDDG and UNM candidates faced off to claim the six majoritarian seats. Also on 30 October, snap elections were held to fill the vacant positions for Akhaltsikhe Mayor and Zugdidi, Kharagauli and Bolnisi Gamgebelis (Council Heads). All contests were between GDDG and UNM candidates.

During the whole day GD and UNM members were accusing each other of mobilizing supporters outside polling stations for staging provocations; but no incident that might have hampered the voting has taken place.

International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), which deployed about 700 observers to monitor voting process in all 50 single-mandate constituencies, said that voting was held in calm atmosphere, but separate cases of procedural violations were observed, among them violation of voter marking rules, multiple voting and agitation at polling stations.  

ISFED said that most violations were observed in Marneuli election district No.36, where a violent incident took place during the October 8 parliamentary elections after opposition supporters tried to storm the polling station.

Transparency International Georgia, which deployed 250 local observers to monitor the October 30 runoff elections, also pointed at “a strained environment” in Marneuli, where supporters of political parties were mobilized outside polling stations. It called on law enforcement agencies “to be prepared for any possible escalations” in the process of vote count.

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