Parliamentary elections in Georgia 2024. Follow the events live

According to the Central Election Commission, a total of 1,768,816 citizens have voted so far.

For comparison, voter turnout at this time in previous parliamentary elections was:

• 2020 – 45.77%
• 2016 – 42%
• 2012 – 53%

At polling station No. 4 in Gardabani, a confrontation erupted between a representative of the opposition National Movement and an observer from the ruling Georgian Dream party. According to TOK TV, the ruling party representative threw a brick at the opposition member during the altercation.

TOK TV sought a comment from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but after two hours, the ministry has neither confirmed nor denied the incident.

Voting has concluded in China, where out of 57 Georgian citizens who cast ballots, 47 voted for opposition parties, while 10 supported the ruling Georgian Dream.

Here’s the vote breakdown by political group:

• Coalition for Change – 18 votes (31.6%)
• Unity – National Movement – 4 votes (7.01%)
• Strong Georgia – 10 votes (17.5%)
• For Georgia – 8 votes (14.03%)
• Georgian Dream – 10 votes (17.5%)

The publication Samtskhe-Javakheti has shared a photo from polling station No. 1 in Akhalkalaki, capturing an observer allegedly attempting to see a voter’s choice.

Journalists report that unauthorized individuals have gathered in the polling station area, raising concerns about the integrity of the voting process.

Meanwhile, a celebratory stage is being set up outside the party’s headquarters in Tbilisi.

Georgian Dream has announced that it secured a majority in the elections, without even waiting for polling stations to close, exit poll results, or official data from the Central Election Commission.

For comparison, the turnout figures for previous parliamentary elections at the same time were:

• 2020: 36.45%
• 2012 (when the current ruling party, Georgian Dream, first came to power): 44.99%

An incident occurred at polling station No. 60 in Gldani, a district on the outskirts of Tbilisi. Irakli Edzgveradze, a member of the Tbilisi City Council representing the opposition United National Movement, reported that tensions escalated after Shako Kuchashvili, an activist from the ruling Georgian Dream party, arrived on the scene and allegedly attempted to provoke voters.

“He was deliberately ‘assigned’ here; he is an employee of the security services. They know that Gldani residents consistently vote for the opposition. He approached people and insulted them,” Edzgveradze stated.

Voter queue in Frankfurt

Video by Tamara Abashmadze

An investigation has been launched under the charge of “election fraud.” A video went viral on social media a few hours ago, showing an individual casting multiple ballots into a ballot box.

Voting at this station was conducted using the old system, rather than electronically.

A registrar died at polling station No. 15 in Poti. Nikoloz Lominadze, 47, suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital, but could not be saved.

Salome Rodonaya, chair of the 70th Electoral Commission in Poti, confirmed that voting was temporarily suspended at the station due to the incident.

A video has surfaced on social media showing an attack on citizen Salome Kenchiashvili near polling station No. 23/24 in the Nadzaladevi district of the capital. The attackers are men whom she’d urged to keep their distance from the polling station. The video was recorded and is being shared by Salome herself.

Activists are alerting voters to a significant ballot manipulation tactic:

On certain ballots, next to number 41, which corresponds to the ruling party “Georgian Dream,” there is a small dot. If a voter marks this number, their vote will be counted. However, if a voter selects a different number and overlooks this dot without immediately reporting it to the commission, the electronic vote-counting system will classify that ballot as invalid, resulting in a lost vote.

Activists urge voters to carefully inspect their ballots before marking them and to request a new one if they notice the dot.

The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy Organization reports that the the incidents occurred in the following locations:

• Akhmeta (Pankisi Gorge), polling station No. 17
• Chugureti district of Tbilisi, polling station No. 3
• Tkibuli, Western Georgia, polling station No. 1

Nino Dolidze, the head of ISFED, noted that in one case, bribes worth 100 lari (about $35) were being handed out.

Additional Violations:

• Only 75% of polling stations opened on time.
• Observers from “Fair Elections” were denied access to two penitentiary institutions.
• Ruling party coordinators were seen mobilizing outside polling stations.
• In some locations, registrars’ tables were positioned so close to the walls that it hindered observers from detecting and preventing potential “carousel” voting attempts.
• Some voters were issued two ballots simultaneously.

Chairman of the Central Election Commission Giorgi Kalandarishvili has requested the Marneuli district election commission to investigate what happened at polling station No. 69 in Marneuli and to take appropriate action. According to reports from journalists on the scene, the station is now closed.

This morning, a video appeared on social media showing a person dropping several ballots into the ballot box. Voting at this station was conducted using the traditional system, not electronically.

Kalandarishvili described the incident as alarming and urged the Ministry of Internal Affairs to begin an investigation into the matter as soon as possible. “If this information is confirmed, we will not allow such incidents to undermine the months of efforts we have put into the election day. All such cases damage the electoral environment, the integrity of the voting day, the reputation of the institution, and raise questions about the results,” said Giorgi Kalandarishvili.

As of 12:00, the Center for Media, Information, and Social Research has reported six incidents of verbal and physical harassment against journalists, resulting in the expulsion of ten reporters from polling stations:

• A journalist from the independent TV channel Formula faced insults and obstruction while attempting to film.
• Ketu Tsitskishvili and Mariam Gaprindashvili, journalists for opposition channels Mtavari Arkhi and TV Pirveli, were initially removed from a polling station. When they later engaged with local residents, an unknown individual insulted them and attempted to physically confront them.
• In Akhmeta (Pankisi Gorge) at polling station No. 11, coordinators from the ruling Georgian Dream party confiscated the phone of journalist Gela Mtivlishvili, an observer at the site, and assaulted him both physically and verbally.
• At polling station No. 2 in Kutaisi, three activists from the ruling party, Georgian Dream, physically attacked a journalist from CNews after he uncovered unauthorized lists containing personal data of citizens.
• At polling station No. 5 in Batumi, coordinators from Georgian Dream initially prevented Tamta Dolendzhashvili, a journalist from TV Pirveli, from entering a service minibus to conduct interviews. One coordinator subsequently threatened her with imprisonment.

Paris. A queue at the polling station

Barcelona

London

Prague

Comparing this to previous elections:

• In the 2020 parliamentary elections, 19.41% of voters had cast their ballots by noon.

• In 2012, when the current ruling party “Georgian Dream” and its founder, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, came to power, the turnout was 25.88% by that time.

The confrontation occurred at polling station 74 in the city of Marneuli, where a compact community of ethnic Azerbaijanis resides. According to reports, an observer raised concerns about violations and was attempted to be removed from the polling station. Shortly after, unknown individuals entered the building, leading to a fight. Azad Karimov, the chairman of the regional organization of the “National Movement,” was beaten (as shown in the photo).

The head of the OSCE observation mission, Pia Kauma, and the OSCE special coordinator, Pascal Allizard, visited polling station No. 2, set up at Tbilisi State University, and observed the electronic voting process.

Kauma said: “Our main mission is to ensure that the true will of the people is reflected in the election results on voting day and that they vote free from pressure.”

The observation mission will share its assessment of the 2024 parliamentary election day with journalists tomorrow, October 27.

President Salome Zourabichvili arrived at the first polling station and stated, “This time I voted not for someone in particular but for something. I voted for a new Georgia, the one I came to 22 years ago and for which my ancestors prayed. I voted for the Georgia that I believe everyone in this country is praying for. Tonight, we will all be winners. No one will be defeated because Georgia will triumph!”

Bidzina Ivanishvili, honorary chairman of the Georgian Dream, once again threatened voters with war when he visited a polling station: “We face very simple elections. Either we choose a government that will serve you, the people, the Motherland, and care for the country, or we choose a foreign agency that will only carry out the tasks of another state. Today’s elections are unique in that a foreign country has selfish interests that could immediately take control of an agency if we manage to elect them. As you know, there is a war going on in the region. Foreign countries, run by agents, have a pressing agenda to somehow involve Georgia in military actions. I assure you, it won’t take long. It will happen instantly.” He also labeled the opposition as criminals and stated, “With these elections, we must cleanse politics of criminals.”

Nika Gvaramia, from the Coalition for Change, emphasized the importance of a peaceful transfer of power: “I hope the government realizes that a peaceful transition is its historic chance to contribute positively to this country’s history. This is their last chance. The first peaceful transfer of power happened in 2012, the first in our country’s history. The second will not be an exception; it will become a tradition. I urge Bidzina Ivanishvili to use this last chance to write something positive in Georgia’s history and lay the groundwork for the tradition of peaceful power transfer.”

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze remarked, “These elections are similar to those in 2012, where once again the direction of the country’s development must be determined.” He added, “As soon as the elections are over and the war in Ukraine concludes, our relations with both the USA and the European Union will be fully reset. We are receiving very good signals from our strategic partners.”

Mamuka Khazaradze, from the Strong Georgia coalition, said, “The lines at polling stations show that the oligarch’s 12-year rule has reached its limit. This cascade of lies must end today – we will win. My expectations are very optimistic. I want to thank everyone, from emigrants to journalists, and everyone voting for the first time this year.”

Giorgi Gakharia, from “Gakharia for Georgia,” noted, “Today is an important day. First of all, I urge every citizen of Georgia to come to the polling stations. You should know that no one will ever find out who you voted for. Most importantly, we all must vote to restore our country to a normal state. We must do everything to return the country to a normal, democratic, free, fair, European path of development, as this is not only our choice but also the choice of our ancestors and children.”

Tina Bokuchava, from the United National Movement, stated, “I am confident that the overwhelming majority of Georgian citizens will choose a European future for their children and our country, leading us back to the path of European integration. I believe today will be a day of great national victory that will result in a change of government and the rise of coalition forces that will quickly lead our country into the EU.”

Violations detected:

– Some polling stations opened late.

•  – Rustavi: A commission member in District 27 demonstrated how to fill in the ballot by marking circle 41 — the number of the ruling “Georgian Dream” party.
• – Electronic devices experienced disruptions at several polling stations.

Central Electoral Comission: As of 10 a.m., 324,197 voters have visited polling stations countrywide.

Ballot boxes have already been sent to those unable to physically come to vote.

n 2024, Georgia will elect its 11th parliament for a four-year term. As a parliamentary country, the winners of this election will govern for the next four years. This is expected to be the first parliament without a majority party. There is a high likelihood that Georgia will have a coalition government for the first time in its history.

To enter parliament, a party must surpass a 5% threshold.