"Crossing half the continent to cast a vote": Georgians abroad want to participate in Georgia elections
Emigrant participation in Georgia’s elections
With seven months remaining until the parliamentary elections in 2024, the issue of Georgian emigrants’ participation in elections is becoming increasingly relevant. Opposition parties, non-governmental organizations, and the president are demanding simplified voting procedures for emigrants. However, the government is reluctant to make changes, as emigrants are considered opposition-leaning voters, according to experts.
How many citizens of Georgia have emigrated?
The exact number of Georgian emigrants is unknown. Thousands of people leave Georgia annually, mainly fleeing unemployment and poverty, and this number increases each year.
According to official statistics, last year alone, more than 125,000 people left the country with a population of 3.7 million. Additionally, many more leave the country unofficially.
According to UN estimates, in 2019, the number of emigrants born in Georgia and residing abroad was 852,000. However, unofficially, the number of emigrants leaving Georgia is significantly higher and, according to some estimates, may even reach 1.6 million people, or over 40% of the population.
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Emigrants are the breadwinners for thousands of families
Emigrants who have left Georgia significantly contribute to the country’s economy, particularly through remittances.
According to the World Bank, Georgia ranks 21st in the list of countries reliant on remittances, indicating that a significant portion of the country’s economy depends on transfers sent by Georgian citizens working abroad.
In 2022, immigrants remitted $4.4 billion to Georgia, accounting for 15.6 percent of the gross domestic product.
What is the participation of emigrants in elections?
Despite thousands of families in Georgia relying on remittances for survival, emigrants do not participate in the country’s political life.
The logistics for people living abroad are arranged in such a way that they do not have the opportunity to participate in the presidential or parliamentary elections of their own country.
For example, only 66,217 individuals living abroad registered to vote in the 2020 parliamentary elections. Ultimately, only 12,247 voters participated in the elections and cast their votes.
The participation of emigrants in the 2018 presidential elections was even lower – only 5,675 individuals voted in the first round of the presidential elections.
The problem is that very few polling stations are open abroad, mostly only in capitals. Immigrants living in the periphery cannot come to the capital for one day and return.
“Twenty percent of our citizens cannot exercise their fundamental right to vote in elections, while this group plays a decisive role in Georgia’s economy,” says political science professor Bakur Kvashilava.
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The new bill and the government’s arguments
This year, the opposition, non-governmental organizations, and the immigrants themselves are trying to change the situation and make the voting process accessible for Georgians living abroad.
Several Facebook groups have already been created where immigrants unite, gather signatures for opening polling stations in their cities.
The opposition and non-governmental organizations offer various ways to create conditions for immigrants to participate in elections.
One of the main advocates of this issue is the president of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, who herself comes from an immigrant family. Zurabishvili has repeatedly called on the Central Election Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get maximally involved in this process and give immigrants the opportunity to vote.
However, the ruling “Georgian Dream” party, as well as the CEC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which are responsible for organizing this abroad and can effectively change the situation in this direction, are not in a hurry to take concrete steps.
Moreover, Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili says that there is “too much hype” around the immigrant issue.
The Center for Multi-Party Democracy (EECMD) in November 2023 submitted a bill that would allow immigrants to vote online.
The bill has not been considered by parliament. In February of this year, EECMD called on parliament to discuss the bill, but “Georgian Dream” still refused.
At the end of March, the Foreign Minister answered questions from MPs in parliament, where he once again stated that the government does not intend to open additional polling stations because it is associated with a lot of bureaucracy. Essentially, this means opening a new consulate or vice-consulate, and the rules for this are determined by the Vienna Convention and it is only possible with the consent of the host country.
This is a “complex issue” that, given the internal rules of each country, “may take several months,” Darchiashvili said.
He could not answer the question of opposition MP Khatia Dekanoidze about which countries the Foreign Ministry negotiated with to open additional polling stations.
“The main thing is political will. ‘Georgian Dream’ does not want to solve this problem because it does not want real representative elections. But I think we can make some progress,” said Levan Tsutsqiridze, executive director of EECMD, in an interview with JAMnews.
President Salome Zurabishvili also criticizes the government’s actions.
“No answer is given to what can be done to allow Georgian citizens living abroad to participate in parliamentary elections this year,” she says.
“Only in my family, four votes are lost”
Maiko, 48, has been living in La Rochelle, France, for 13 years.
“When I was in Georgia, I never missed any elections, but since I’m in France, I cannot vote. I haven’t participated in elections for 13 years,” she says.
For Maiko to be able to participate in elections, she has to solve many tasks: first of all, she needs to be off work on that day. Then she’ll have to take a five-hour bus ride to Paris because a train ticket (three hours from La Rochelle to Paris) is quite expensive. She won’t be able to return home the same day, so she’ll have to spend the night in Paris. This expense needs to be multiplied by four because there are four voters in the family.
“We really want to register our votes, but we cannot do it in any elections. Only in our family, four votes are lost in every election. Imagine how many more people like me there are in all of France living outside Paris.”
Around 800 voter voices are lost in the Spanish city of Cordoba, where 51-year-old Nino Terterashvili lives.
“Who will open a polling station for us in Cordoba?! Even registration at the consulate is difficult for people over 60. Either you have to come to Barcelona or Madrid, or you have to register electronically.”
Madrid is 394 kilometers away from Cordoba, and Barcelona is 712 kilometers away.
“If at most 10 people from our city were at the elections, it’s because they had a car, and it happened that they were on vacation that day. Imagine what will happen if someday 800 people ask to be released from work at the same time.”
“Thanks to the money we send, the state gets back on its feet, but it is not kind enough to let us decide what kind of state we want to have,” says Nino.
To travel half a continent to reach the polling station
To reach the polling station, a Georgian citizen living abroad must first register at the Georgian consulate—either physically or online.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia provides information about registered citizens to the Central Election Commission (CEC), which then forms districts based on this data. A polling station is opened if there are a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 3,000 registered voters.
For example, in New York, there are two polling stations because there is a large Georgian diaspora there. However, a Georgian citizen living in Denver would have to travel to New York or San Francisco to vote. The distance between these cities spans half a continent.
“For instance, it takes me 2 hours and 20 minutes to fly from Atlanta to New York to vote. It costs about $500 for the flight plus staying overnight in New York,” says 37-year-old Levan, who has lived in Georgia, US, for nine years. “Of course, no one should have to spend so much time and money just to vote in an election.”
Polling stations abroad
During the parliamentary elections in 2020, a total of 45 polling stations were opened abroad, mainly in capital districts.
The exceptions were the United States, Germany, and Turkey, where polling stations were opened in three cities.
In two cities in Spain, Italy, and Ukraine, there were two stations each, while in other countries, there was only one station in the capital. For example, in Canada, voting was only possible in Ottawa, and in France, only in Paris.
“This campaign will not yield results,” says the Central Election Commission
In response to this reality, the opposition has launched a campaign to attract as many emigrants as possible to the parliamentary elections of 2024.
Initiated by the opposition alliance “Girchi-Droa,” signatures are being collected in 50 cities worldwide. Letters from 12 cities have already been sent to the CEC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.
Immigrants are demanding the opening of polling stations in these cities.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received statements provided for by legislation, stating that, for example, in a certain city, there are 200, 500, or 800 people who want to participate in the elections. “Send the CEC there to open a polling station for us”. The ministry does not respond to these letters,” says Giga Lemonjava, the executive secretary of the “Droa” party.
JAMnews also did not receive a response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We were denied an interview by the press service. The CEC referred to this campaign as “incorrect.”
In their opinion, “collecting signatures requesting the opening of polling stations abroad will not yield legal results, as electoral legislation does not provide for such a procedure.”
“This issue has become relevant due to the political agenda,” says Deputy Chairman of the CEC Giorgi Sharabidze. “The law states that polling stations abroad must be opened no later than 30 days before the elections. The elections are scheduled for October 26, 2024, and pushing this issue at the beginning of the year will not yield any legal results.”
“Imagine if today someone writes to us, saying they are in a specific city and asking to open a polling station. Who knows for sure that this person will be in the same city in a few months? Making such a forecast is impossible. Polling stations will be created 30 days before the elections, as provided by law,” says Sharabidze.
The proposal of non-governmental organizations
The bill prepared by the Center for Multiparty Democracy (EECMD) offers the government several alternative ways to provide immigrants with more voting opportunities.
“Government can use all of these alternatives in combination or choose any of them,” says Levan Tsutskiridze, Executive Director of EECMD.
The first solution is the possibility of electronic voting, although this option requires legislative changes. According to Georgian legislation, the use of electronic technologies is only permitted within the country.
A simpler approach, according to Levan Tsutskiridze, is to open additional polling stations.
“This requires mobilizing more resources and people, but it is not difficult, especially in friendly countries.”
Another possibility suggested by EECMD to the authorities is to extend the voting period: instead of one day, the polling station should operate for two weeks.
“We should also not rule out mail as another solution. Immigrants will be able to send their ballots to the consulate by mail. These opportunities do not exclude either option; the main thing is that the government has the will and desire. Waving hands and not trying to do anything means depriving hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens of their constitutional rights,” says Levan Tsutskiridze.
The president’s opinion
In March, president Salome Zourabichvili held an online meeting with representatives of the diaspora on election issues. Citizens of Georgia residing in twenty different countries from more than 70 cities participated in the meeting.
According to the president, there hasn’t been such interest in elections from the diaspora for a long time.
“This is due to a new hope that emerged after Georgia was granted candidate status [for EU membership]. This year is also important for our European future because by the end of the year, negotiations on accession are expected to begin, so maximum activity is required from all of us,” said Zurabishvili.
Zurabishvili called on the diaspora to be active and stated that opening additional precincts “will not be an easy process.”
“From your side [the diaspora], there must be readiness, mobilization, so that as many citizens as possible register on the voter lists and start working on opening additional polling stations as soon as possible. I won’t hide that this will not be easy. We have already had meetings with the CEC and our partner ambassadors on these issues, and there is support in this regard. But, probably, we will have to mobilize… The work starts today, requests and signatures must be sent today,” Zurabishvili said.
Why is the government afraid of emigrants?
The government fears the participation of emigrants in elections, according to Levan Tsutskiridze. In the parliamentary elections of 2020, the “Georgian Dream” garnered only 29 percent of emigrant votes.
“No one is happy to leave home, family, and country. Emigration is a way to escape. Dissatisfied people who have not found a better solution are leaving the country. Therefore, the government sees a threat in the voice of emigrants,” Tsutskiridze says.
Giya Khukhashvili, a political analyst and president of the social platform “Home for the Future!”, also believes that the government is afraid of involving emigrants in elections.
“A person in exile is naturally an oppositionist. Today, the ‘Georgian Dream’ has two main opponents – emigration and youth. These two forces are the main opponents of the current government,” says Khukhashvili.
“Accordingly,” he adds, “the government is afraid of emigrants and will not consider any initiative to include them in the elections. However, we are grateful to these people – every working emigrant supports two or three families in Georgia.”
Experts agree that the 2024 elections are crucial for Georgia:
“In October, it will become clear where we are going – to Europe or in the opposite direction, to the Soviet Union,” says Khukhashvili. According to him, the government is not ready to make any concessions.
Giga Lemonjava, the executive secretary of the “Droa” party, believes that emigrants are a “dangerous” electorate for the government because it’s difficult to influence them:
“You can’t threaten immigrants with dismissal. Military propaganda won’t scare them either. Disinformation and propaganda have little influence on emigrants, so the government knows that if a large number of immigrants participate in the elections, the ‘Georgian Dream’ will lose.”
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Moldova’s example
As an example, the opposition refers to the presidential elections in Moldova in 2020 when opposition candidate Maia Sandu won with 57.7 percent of the vote, and the votes of emigrants played a significant role in her victory.
According to Nicolae Panfil, head of the Promo-LEX program, a Moldovan non-governmental organization, involving emigrants to such an extent in Moldova’s presidential elections was the result of many years of work.
“This is not a simple process. Long-term work is required to achieve results. We have been working on this issue since 2010 and have not stopped at what has been achieved. The key is the strong desire and readiness on the part of the immigrants themselves.
In our case, they organized themselves, found locations, and demanded the opening of polling stations. Then we created an online registration system, and based on this information, polling stations were added in 2016. The opposition was also very active in this direction, and as a result, only in Italy, about 30 polling stations were opened,” Nicolae Panfil told JAMnews.
Concerns about illegal immigrants
It is necessary to establish a working group involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central Election Commission, non-governmental organizations, and immigrants to plan the best way out of the current situation, believes the head of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), Nino Dolidze.
“This is our proposal to work together in this direction. It is important now for the authorities to also engage in this process and develop the best option, whether it is adding polling stations, electronic voting, or postal voting. To ensure that the result is objective and properly adapted to reality, it is important to involve all stakeholders.”
Another major problem is the concerns of people living abroad illegally. What if they register at the consulate or come to a polling station, and the local authorities will find out about them?
According to experts, these concerns are unfounded, and registration at the Georgian consulate will not pose a threat to citizens illegally residing abroad.
What is the government planning to do?
The action plan for the 2024 parliamentary elections has been approved, and a separate important aspect concerns informing immigrants, says the deputy chairman of the Central Election Commission, Giorgi Sharabidze:
“It is very important for us to provide immigrants with as much information as possible about how they should participate in the elections and what procedure they should follow. We are planning a large-scale campaign in this direction.”
The government should strive to minimize unnecessary barriers for people living abroad, according to migration expert Nugzar Kohreidze:
“Everyone should help people to go to the polls, not the other way around. The government should do everything to reduce barriers for us, citizens. We also need to consider that when we talk about the participation of our citizens in elections, we forget about 400 thousand of our citizens living in the Russian Federation, who remain outside the elections.”
Georgia does not have diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation, so holding elections in Russia is impossible.
“We are in a state of war with Russia, so our polling stations cannot be opened there,” says political science professor Bakur Kvashilava. “But justice and the law require us to grant the right to vote to everyone we can. And if this process is launched, then with each election, more and more emigrants will be able to cast their votes, including against those who are currently fighting for emigrant votes.”
