Georgia will open seven additional polling stations abroad for the elections on October 26

Georgia will open more polling stations abroad

On October 11, the Central Election Commission of Georgia announced that seven additional polling stations will be opened abroad for the parliamentary elections on October 26.

These stations will be added in cities where polling places already exist: Athens, New York, Thessaloniki, Berlin, Barcelona, Rome, and Paris.

In total, Georgian citizens living abroad will be able to vote at 67 polling stations in 42 countries.

How Moldova managed to involve emigrants in elections and can Georgia do the same?

Citizens living outside Georgia have been asking authorities for over six months to make it easier for them to vote

The Chair of the Central Election Commission, Giorgi Kalandarishvili, also announced that the only polling station in Israel, located in Ramat Gan, will operate as usual.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia had previously proposed closing this station, citing potential risks to voter safety.

“We in the commission unanimously agree that the issue of closing the polling station in Israel is not on the agenda. The commission lacks the authority to assess potential dangers in any building in Israel,” Kalandariashvili stated.

"The EU did not recognize the elections in Belarus. I hope it doesn't come to this in Georgia either," – EU Ambassador

Herczyński mentioned that “all options are being considered,” including the temporary suspension of visa-free travel.

According to the Central Election Commission, more polling stations will be opened abroad for the 2024 parliamentary elections than were available during the 2020 parliamentary elections. This includes polling stations in countries where none were previously established, such as the United Arab Emirates, Finland, Korea, Japan, and Australia, the CEC reported.