Georgia's opposition launches campaign to restore voting rights for emigrants

In Georgia, the opposition alliance Coalition for Change and the Strategy Aghmashenebeli party have launched the Emigrant’s Vote campaign, calling for the restoration of Georgian citizens’ right to vote from abroad in parliamentary and municipal elections.

Under the new Election Code, approved by the ruling Georgian Dream party on 17 December 2025, emigrants are no longer allowed to vote from abroad. Instead, they must travel to Georgia to cast their ballots.

One of Coalition for Change’s members, Tengo Tevzadze, announced the launch of the campaign, saying the initiative would culminate in a constitutional challenge seeking to restore emigrants’ right to take part in elections.

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According to Tevzadze, the campaign aims to demonstrate that allowing emigrants to vote is consistent with Georgia’s constitution and that every Georgian citizen, regardless of where they live, should be able to take part in elections.

Tevzadze noted that Georgian Dream won just 13.4% of the overseas vote in the disputed 2024 parliamentary election, which the opposition says was rigged. He argued that this was why the authorities later moved to strip emigrants of their voting rights.

Tevzadze argues that depriving emigrants of the right to vote violates Georgia’s constitution and is unfair to a group of citizens that makes a significant contribution to the country’s economy.

The campaign’s organisers have set out two main demands: restoring emigrants’ right to vote and creating an electoral system that allows Georgian citizens living abroad to cast their ballots.

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Those at greatest risk are people targeted for political reasons, including journalists, politicians, human rights defenders, and civic activists.

“We need as many emigrants as possible to sign the petition so that, alongside political efforts, we can also challenge the regime through legal means. Through a constitutional lawsuit, we will clearly demonstrate that emigrants’ participation in elections and their voting rights are protected by the constitution, and that Georgians, both at home and abroad, must be able to take part in free and fair elections,” Tengo Tevzadze said.

Voting rights for Georgian emigrants