Georgians are going to the polls to elect a new parliament as the ruling Georgian Dream party faces the most serious challenge to their rule yet.

Voters in New York report 7+ hour queues 

Complaints have spread on social media from Georgian citizens queuing in front of the Georgian Consulate in New York. As of 16:00 (midnight Georgian time), some voters have claimed to have been waiting since 09:00 and have not yet been able to vote. 

Some have raised concerns of a deliberate attempt to prevent them from casting their ballots. 

Georgian citizens abroad are widely believed to favour the opposition. 

Similar complaints emerged from people queuing in Germany and other European countries with significant Georgian communities.

The Central Election Commission declined to open additional polling stations abroad despite requests by civil society groups. 

Preliminary results show Georgian Dream losing in Tbilisi 

According to preliminary results from  72% of polling stations from the Central Election Commission, Georgian Dream lost in all 10 districts of Tbilisi.

• Mtatsminda: 42%
• Vake: 38%
• Saburtalo: 40%
• Krtsanisi: 49%
• Isani: 45%
• Samgori: 45%
• Chughureti: 44%
• Didube: 42%
• Nadzaladevi: 43%
• Gldani: 40%

Kaladze threatens ‘strict response’

Kakha Kaladze, the mayor of Tbilisi and Georgian Dream general secretary, has threatened ‘a very strict response’ if anyone ‘dares to take steps against the law’, according to IPN.

It came in response to a question from a pro-government journalist about ‘expected coup on the part of the opposition’.

‘When you organise a coup, you must have the support of society and the people. Today, the opposition, this radical group, is defeated’, Kaladze said.

Christo Grozev: ‘the Kremlin plan for crude vote rigging is in motion’

Christo Grozev, a journalist famous for investigations into the shootdown of MH17 and the Skripal and Navalny poisonings, has said ‘it appears that the Kremlin plan for crude vote rigging is in motion’.

"Official" results based on 70% of the votes being counted: the exact opposite ,53% for the pro-Russian Georgian Dream. I hate to be right in this case, but it appears that the Kremlin plan for crude vote rigging is in motion. https://t.co/TGwYXkLJXb

— Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) October 26, 2024

In an interview with the Baltic media outlet Delfi published on Thursday, Grozev said he had received hacked messages between employees from Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) proposing ‘radical measures’ which could entail Russian plans to ‘conspire with the ruling party to declare an implausible mega-victory’.

RT’s Simonyan congratulates Georgia on elections

After almost 71% precinct results of parliamentary elections were published by CEC, Margarita Simonyan, a famous Kremlin propagandist and the editor-in-chief of RT, posted on X saying ‘the Georgians won’.

‘Well done!’ she posted.

Massive Georgian Dream numbers in minority regions

The first results have given Georgian Dream huge majorities in a number of areas with large ethnic-minority populations, where there have been widespread reports of violations throughout the day. President Salome Zourabichvili earlier denounced such reports, stating it was ‘very immoral to use an ethnic minority to rig the elections’.

Georgian Dream received the following percent of the vote in:

• Ninotsminda: 90%
• Akhalkalaki: 89%
• Bolnisi: 80%
• Marneuli: 80%
• Dmanisi: 75%
• Gardabani: 72%

Georgian Dream also received 84% of the vote in Sachkhere, the birthplace of Bidzina Ivanishvili, and 75% in Lentekhi, Svaneti.

Georgian Dream have received their lowest share of the vote in the districts of Tbilisi:

• Vake: 38%
• Saburtalo: 40%
• Gldani: 40%
• Mtatsminda: 42%

In Rustavi, they received 41%.

Turnout as of 20:00 at 59% 

Turnout at 20:00 was 59%. Final turnout in 2020 was 57%; in 2012 it was 61%. The figure is likely to rise as those who began queuing before polls closed at 20:00 are still eligible to vote.

First results favour Georgian Dream win

Results from electronic voting machines have arrived for 69% of voting precincts. 

Georgian Dream: 53%

Unity — National Movement: 10%

Coalition for Change: 11%

Strong Georgia: 9%

For Georgia: 8%

The polls have closed and the manual vote count has just commenced. Our core team in Tbilisi and our correspondents all around Georgia are still covering the elections, including vote counts and upcoming rallies and demonstrations planned by both the opposition and the ruling party. You can help continue this work becoming an OC Media member. Along with supporting our journalism, you will receive a host of benefits including exclusive newsletters, a daily news brief, and more.

Georgian Dream supporters celebrate despite inconclusive exit polls

Supporters of the ruling party have already begun celebrating, despite inconclusive exit polls and an ongoing manual vote count across the country. 

Georgian Dream supporters celebrate as they drive through Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue after inconclusive exit polls.

▶️ Georgia election live updates: https://t.co/qUR7NFbDpK pic.twitter.com/8JlorFG6hT

— OC Media (@OCMediaorg) October 26, 2024

Orbán claims Georgian Dream won ‘overwhelming victory’

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán congratulated Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, claiming it had won an ‘overwhelming victory’ in the parliamentary elections. ‘The people of Georgia know what is best for their country, and made their voice heard today!’ Orbán posted on X. His congratulatory message came even as preliminary results in Georgia had only just begun to come in, with both the ruling party and key opposition groups claiming victory for the united opposition.

What do the exit polls mean?

According to the exit poll carried out by Imedi, Georgian Dream won 91 of 150 seats, far more than the 76 needed for a majority. 

However, the polls by Formula and Mtavari give a very different picture. Formula has forecast Georgian Dream will win 67 seats, with pro-Western opposition parties winning the remaining 83. Mtavari’s exit poll gave Georgian Dream 71 seats.

In the previous parliamentary elections in 2020, the Formula/Edison exit poll was the closest to the result. They gave Georgian Dream 46%, two percentage points less than the actual results.

Manual vote count begins

The manual vote count has commenced throughout Georgia’s polling stations. Preliminary results from electronic counting devices will start becoming available within the next hour and a half. The manual count will be considered legally binding. 75% polling stations in Georgia were equipped with electronic counting devices.

 

Ivanishvili claims ‘success’ in speech after polls close

In a speech delivered in Tbilisi immediately after the pro-government TV channel Imedi announced its exit polls, Bidzina Ivanishvili greeted the crowd along with party leaders and congratulated the audience on his team’s alleged success in the elections. 

While he did not explicitly claim a Georgian Dream victory in the election, Ivanishvili repeatedly referenced proposed positive changes that will occur ‘over the next four years’. 

He also promised to ‘appreciate’ voters’ support and praised the Georgian Dream government.

‘This is the people who will serve you and promote your interests, unlike those… I won’t talk about them anymore… those who try to lead Georgia on orders from someone else.’

Imedi/Gorbi exit poll

Pro-government channel Imedi have released exit polls conducted by Gorbi. Their results were the following:

Georgian Dream: 56%

Unity — National Movement: 12%

Coalition for Change: 13%

Strong Georgia: 7%

For Georgia: 5%

Girchi: 3%

Alliance of Patriots: 2%

Other: 3%

Mtavari Arkhi/HarrisX exit poll 

Pro-opposition TV channel Mtavari Arkhi have released exit polls conducted by HarrisX. Their results were the following:

Georgian Dream: 42%

Unity — National Movement: 13%

Coalition for Change: 18%

Strong Georgia: 9%

For Georgia: 8%

Formula/Edison exit poll 

Opposition-leaning channel Formula have released exit polls conducted by Edison Research. Their results were the following:

Georgian Dream: 41%

Unity — National Movement: 17%

Coalition for Change: 17%

Strong Georgia: 10%

For Georgia: 8%

Alliance of Patriots: 2%

Girchi: 2%

Labour: 2%

Polls close

Polls have closed. Exit polls will follow shortly from several TV stations. The results from electronic voting machines are expected to arrive at around 22:00, followed by a manual recount throughout the night.

Public Defender’s statement

Georgia’s Public Defender’s office posted a statement on Facebook calling on law enforcement agencies ‘to study and evaluate all possible criminal/illegal incidents and to respond to them promptly, effectively, and in accordance with the law’.

ISFED reports on mobile ballot box fraud in Zugdidi

International Society for Fair Elections And Democracy’s (ISFED) Samegrelo office reported that a Central Election Commission (CEC) member marked the ruling Georgian Dream’s electoral number, 41, on the ballot of an elderly woman he had brought a mobile ballot box to in Zugdidi. 

The woman, 77-year-old Natela Kvitia, told OC Media that several members of the commission brought the ballot box to her home. She had asked her granddaughter to fill out the ballot for her because of her impaired vision.

Her granddaughter then found that the CEC representative had marked the ruling party’s electoral number himself. 

‘Then my granddaughter objected, asking for a new ballot, and filled in the [opposition party] that I had planned to vote for.’

‘He said he didn’t know that I was not voting for [Georgian Dream]. How could he not know? Didn’t he see the door?’ Kvitia added, pointing to the pro-European and opposition stickers on her front door.

Mariana Kvaratskhelia, the chair of the second precinct in Zugdidi where Kvitia is registered as a voter confirmed that the CEC received a complaint from Kvitia’s granddaughter.

She told OC Media that the commission member who had handed over the ballot to Kvitia was a representative of Georgian Dream. He denies Kvitia’s accusations.

She noted that the commission member was still warned, because ‘getting too close to the voter is not permitted.’

Kvaratskhelia added that she was not sure about the specifics of the incident because she was not there personally, but said the situation was resolved because Kvitia was given a new ballot after the initial one was declared invalid. 

 

Prime Minister Kobakhidze claims landslide victory two hours before polls close

Two hours before polls closed, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze claimed a landslide victory for Georgian Dream, stating that they aimed for a win that would secure a constitutional majority.

Far-right leader panics over possible ‘liberal’ victory

Less than four hours before the polls closed, the far-right leader and member of the Alt Info and Alliance of Patriots unity, Aleksandre Palavandishvili, urged people to vote, suggesting that the ‘liberals’ might be winning.

‘The liberals have an incredible level of mobilisation!!! There is no second round in this election! Go vote now, take your people with you, or else — it’ll be too late! We’ll lose the country,’ Palavandishvili warned.

Georgian Dream activists attack UNM headquarters

A group of men, ostensibly supporters of Georgian Dream, have attacked and attempted to storm the offices of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party, running under the Unity grouping, in Tbilisi. 

Footage showed the men driving up to the building with Georgian Dream flags and trying to force their way in. They were confronted by UNM members who fought them off, including with the use of pepper spray.

UNM chair Tina Bokuchava said that the incident showed that the government was ‘in agony’. ‘This kind of agony and hysteria that we have seen here […] does not scare anyone, on the contrary — it gives us the belief that we are winning and we are winning by a very large margin.’ 

GYLA observer ‘assaulted’ after threats in Marneuli

Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) have reported that a commission member of the 4th precinct polling station in Marneuli and another unidentified person have attacked their observer, prominent human rights advocate Giorgi Gotsiridze. GYLA added that before the attack, Gotsiridze ‘was threatened’ for recording the violations at the station. 

GYLA also claimed that two other observers were threatened at polling stations — one in the 45th precinct in Batumi and another in the 45th precinct in Kobuleti — while others were verbally abused, obstructed from documenting incidents, and denied the right to register complaints about violations they witnessed.

Strong turnout continues as of 17:00

Turnout was 51% by 17:00, according to local media. This is up from the 46% in the 2020 election, and closing in on the 2012 figure, the last time there was a change of power. At 17:00 in 2012, 53% had already cast their ballots. 

UNM accuses Georgian Dream of attacking representative in Isani, Tbilisi

The opposition United National Movement party (UNM) has accused people they alleged were hired by Georgian Dream of attacking a representative of their Unity — National Movement coalition, Mariam Dolidze, outside a polling station in Isani. They said that Dolidze was transferred to a hospitalised to receive treatment.

‘According to Mariam, the attackers were in a state of inebriation, they were organising provocations. And after Mariam called on them to leave the [polling station] according to the law, they physically assaulted [her]. Mariam has been taken to the hospital, she has injuries to her stomach and head’, said the UNM.

Riot police in the government chancellery

Activist Sandro Kinkladze posted a video on Facebook showing police buses and public transport mini buses entering the government chancellery in Tbilisi.

During previous protests the Interior Ministry has used such buses to deploy riot police against demonstrators.

Observation group suspects ‘systemic’ electoral fraud in Shida Kartli and Kvemo Kartli amid severe, frequent violations

The non-governmental observation group My Vote have reported that ‘the severity and frequency of electoral violations in Shida Kartli and Kvemo Kartli, including failures in ink-marking verification, obstruction of verification processes, malfunctioning of marking fluid and devices, along with violence against observers and their expulsion from polling stations, in summary create substantiated suspicions of systemic electoral manipulations in these regions’. 

The coalition also noted that coordinators from the ruling party, Georgian Dream, are recording voters’ attendance outside polling stations using their personal data, which they said ‘constitutes control over voters’ will and is illegal.’

Tina Bokuchava claims Marneuli ballots invalidated ‘because opposition was winning’

According to Tina Bokuchava, the chair of the United National Movement, the opposition, specifically the Unity – National Movement coalition, won in the 69th precinct of Marneuli, before the results were invalidated.

Bokuchava’s claims followed a decision by the Central Election Commission to declare that the votes at the 69th polling district in Marneuli had been declared invalid. Footage spread earlier on Saturday showing someone stuffing votes into the district’s ballot box. 

Mass surveillance around Zugdidi reported

ISFED’s representative in Samegrelo, Davit Logua, said that nearly every polling station in Zugdidi has unidentified individuals present ‘who are exerting influence on voters’ free will’. He also mentioned people associated with a criminal authority.

One of these polling stations, where a group of people had gathered, was Zugdidi’s polling station #15.

ISFED representatives attempted to explain to those present that the law prohibits agitators from being within a 100-metre radius of a polling station.

‘Why are you standing here from morning till evening?!’ ISFED representative Manana Mikava asked one of the men.

‘Why, is it not allowed?’ the man replied, to which Mikava responded that it is illegal for people to stand near a polling station.

The man introduced himself to OC Media as Hamlet Gamakharia and confirmed that he is a coordinator for Georgian Dream, but denied tracking voters.

‘I’m just watching over my people’, he said.

During the confrontation, Mikava mentioned that she had also observed instances of money being handed out near the same polling station.

‘I personally heard one woman calling a voter and saying, “If you don’t come, you know what will happen.” They were standing in front, this gentleman was there too, and they were distributing money. I even have a video,’ Mikava said, to which one of the men replied, claiming that the incident in question involved exchanging cash, not distributing money.

The head of the polling station, Matuta Abralava, told OC Media that he personally had not noticed any coordinators near the station.

‘Some of them are residents; they live here and are simply standing around,’ he added.

As Georgians go to the polls to vote for the future of their country, the importance of a free and independent media for democracy in our region is clearer than ever. Along with out core team in Tbilisi, OC Media has dispatched journalists across the country to cover events as they unfold. You can help us to continue this work by becoming an OC Media member. Along with supporting our journalism, you will receive a host of benefits including exclusive newsletters, a daily news brief, and more.

Another scuffle reported in Zugdidi

Salome Melia, a member of the opposition Coalition for Change group, claimed that she and her relatives were targeted by a violent group at Zugdidi’s 9th precinct.

President ‘unable’ to reach Interior Minister to discuss acts of violence in the election

President Salome Zourabichvili said in a video address that she was unable to reach Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri through official communication lines.

‘I want to point out the very bad facts — the violence that is happening in different areas. Sometimes media equipment is destroyed, sometimes there is direct violence, groups are gathered there, whose only goal is tension and confrontation. It’s sad — it’s the face and reputation of our country’, she said.

‘This is a sign of weakness, don’t be afraid of it. I want to appeal to the Minister of Internal Affairs [...] unfortunately we cannot contact him, the official government line is not working either — I want to ask the police to respond more quickly and efficiently. We cannot allow this type of tension in our polling stations’.

Zourabichvili was elected with the support of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the 2018 presidential elections, but in recent years, relations between the two have become strained.

The abolition of the gender quota

In a turnaround from the previous election, Georgian Dream scrapped gender quotas for MPs in 2023, ending the requirement that one out of every four candidates from each party be of a different gender from the previous three. 

In the 2020 parliamentary election, 31 women were elected, but only 16 actually took up their seats, constituting just 17% of all MPs. 

Out of the top 20 names on the party lists of the eight largest parties in the upcoming election, Strong Georgia has the most gender-balanced list (45% of the top 20 are women). The incumbent Georgian Dream party has only five women in its top 20 list. 

[Read more: Ranking Georgia’s political parties by gender balance in the 2024 elections]

GYLA report

The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) reported about violations that were allegedly detected before 15:00. According to their observer, ‘individuals marked [with ink to indicate they have voted] have been transported to precinct 34 in Batumi by minibus’.

Mtis Ambebi editor Gela Mtivlishvili reportedly attacked in east Georgia

Gela Mtivlishvili, the editor of online news site Mtis Ambebi, posted on Facebook that he was attacked in east Georgia while working as an observer.

‘We were attacked by alleged precinct observers when we demanded that they and the Georgian Dream coordinators leave the entrance and the surrounding area’, he recalled.

‘They took away our phone, so we couldn’t film the first incident. Even after returning the phone, they prevented us from filming, beat us, spat on us, and cursed us. Before that, in the 1st district of Akhmeta, we witnessed how the [Georgian] Dream coordinator gave money to one of the voters, saying that he had paid off a debt. We called 112, there was no response’, he posted.

Azerbaijani MP claims no violations occurring as violation occurs behind him

Arzu Naghiyev, the Azerbaijani MP leading the Azerbaijani Parliament’s observer mission, has been interviewed claiming there are no violations occurring in Georgia’s election — as a voter took a photo of their ballot behind him. Photographing inside a voting booth is prohibited to protect voter secrecy and prevent pressure on voters.

Turnout remains high at 15:00

Turnout was 42% by 15:00, the Central Election Commission has reported. This remains higher than the same time during the previous parliamentary elections in 2020, which was 36%. It also remains lower than in 2012, when 45% had already voted.

Group attacks on opposition voters reported in Tbilisi

According to Mtavari, around 30 people attacked and insulted opposition voters, journalists, and passers-by near Public School 99 in Isani, which has several polling stations. The group allegedly kicked at passing cars and threw various things, causing an accident. Police have been mobilised on the scene.

 

A second brawl took place in Gldani near the 60th polling station. Opposition members told Formula that Georgian Dream ‘thugs’ were hindering citizens from voting. Police were called to the scene, and the voting process was temporarily halted. 

Marneuli drama continues

According to the Central Election Commission, the votes at the 69th polling district in Marneuli have been declared invalid. Footage spread earlier on Saturday showing someone stuffing the district’s ballot box. 

Election official dies in Poti

According to Central Election Commission (CEC) press spokesperson Natia Ioseliani, a member of the 15th election district in Poti, in western Georgia, Nikoloz Lominadze, fell ill and has died after being taken to the hospital.

‘The CEC expresses its sorrow over his death and offers its condolences to the family’, Ioseliani said.

Voters abroad

Georgian citizens abroad have been sharing photographs of queues and updates from their polling stations. 

Giorgi Khomizaurishvili, a Georgian living in Germany, shared video of a queue at the Georgian embassy in Berlin but told OC Media that registration had been low, with only 3,000 voters registered. Hours later, journalist Luka Bluashvili shared video showing long queues outside the embassy and a bus arriving carrying voters, reportedly from Hamburg. 

‘Voter turnout so far is very good’, Luka Bluashvili told OC Media. ‘In comparison with other years, it’s quite high, and it’s very nice.’

In Berlin, Georgian citizens line up in large numbers near the polling station to cast their ballots.
📽️ @bluashvili_luka pic.twitter.com/D809hg3caU

— Civil.ge (@CivilGe) October 26, 2024

Andro, a Georgian based in Poland, similarly suggested on X that turnout was relatively low in the morning. 

Giorgi Tushishvili, a Georgian living in Spain, cast his vote at the Georgian Consulate in Barcelona. He told OC Media that he faced no issues voting at the consulate, but said that there was some ‘confusion’ as CEC and consulate staff tried to manage a queue of ‘around 100 people’ 40 minutes after the station began receiving voters.

Mariam Vekua, a student in the UK, reported that there had been a queue of around 100 people outside the Georgian embassy since the morning, with the queue growing and doubling back later in the morning. 

Opposition leads in Australia

The single polling station in Australia, located in the capital Canberra, has closed. According to the protocol, 50 Georgian citizens took part in the election, out of which 15 (30%) voted for Georgian Dream compared to 35 votes (70%) for the opposition. 

TV Pirveli crew attacked

Nodar Meladze, the head of news at TV Pirveli, has said the channel’s crew was attacked in Telavi, east Georgia. According to Meladze, the channel’s property was damaged. 

They said the camera crew was targeted by Georgian Dream members after their camera operator filmed instances of voter pressure and bribery. ‘Unknown persons were mobilised with lists in cars near the polling station and distributed money’.

Local UNM head reportedly beaten in Marneuli

According to local media, there was a physical confrontation between members of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) and others in the 74th polling precinct of Marneuli. According to the chair of UNM’s district organisation, Azad Kerimov, he was physically assaulted by a Georgian Dream City Councilor.

Another UNM politician, Giorgi Mumladze, added that one of the observers from non-governmental organisation My Vote for the EU was expelled from the polling station.

‘As soon as we asked about a problem, they attacked me […] I saved myself, got out, then they beat the observers in the yard’, Mumladze said.

According to RFE/RL, the Interior Ministry has stated that an investigation was opened under the charge of violence.

Clubs and bars to hold National Election Afterparty

A number of leading clubs and bars across Georgia announced in the days running up to the election that they will offer free entry to citizens after they have cast their vote. Bassiani, an internationally famous club in Tbilisi, also announced that it would not hold its standard club night on Friday, in order to mobilise voters.

Voter attacks voting machines in Baghdati

In the 23rd precinct of Baghdati, a voter damaged the ID card verification machines. According to a video released by local media, two out of three machines were damaged, which delayed the election process.

CEC Chair Giorgi Kalandarishvili said that ‘a voter who was in a certain psycho-emotional state, damaged several verification machines in such a way that it was impossible to continue the process through these machines’.

According to Kalandarishvili, the voting in the precinct has already continued.

Opposition leaders cast votes

Several opposition leaders cast their ballots earlier this morning. Here are some quotes from them outside the polling stations:

Giorgi Gakharia — For Georgia

‘Today is an important day. First of all, I would like to ask every citizen of Georgia to definitely come to the polling stations. You should know that no one will ever know who you voted for. Most importantly, we should all vote for the return of the country to a normal state. We must do everything for the country to return to a normal, democratic, free, fair, European development path, because it is not only our choice, it is the choice of our ancestors and children.’

Mamuka Khazaradze — Strong Georgia

‘I voted for a real alternative, the beginning of the period when we will be part of Europe and fundamental changes will begin for the reconstruction of our country’.

‘My expectations are very optimistic, I want to thank everyone […] This is a crucial election for our country, I’m sure that our country will make the right choice.’ 

‘This choice will be towards freedom, towards Europe, towards a stable peace and, most importantly, towards a real alternative.’

Giorgi Vashadze — Unity National Movement

‘I think that we all support moving towards Europe; prosperity in Europe. Most importantly, I refused to isolate this country. Georgia has a great perspective. I want to tell all our fellow citizens, countrymen, that today is a decisive day, which will decide the next decades in Georgia, how we will live in the country. Therefore, please everyone, go to the elections, take part, we need maximum turnout in order for absolutely everyone to gain our great perspective. Georgia is a country of decent people, which I am sure will be united in this difficult time and we will all celebrate a great victory in the evening.’ 

Zurab Girchi Japaridze — Coalition for Change

‘I am sure that the citizens of this country will make a choice that will ultimately lead this country to the European Union, to NATO, and in 5-6 years this country will become a full-fledged member of the European Union, and somehow, I have a feeling that we will go through peace. I voted for this, and I think that in Georgia, the absolute majority of citizens will make the same choice.’ 

Nika Melia — Coalition for Change

‘We do not want the king and the chair of the Communist Party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, in either role. We will win very convincingly today. These queues at the polling stations mean that it’s not [just] Georgian Dream that will be defeated, but the system of one-party rule that will be defeated.’

Salome Zourabichvili: ‘immoral to use ethnic minorities to rig election’  

President Salome Zourabichvili has reacted to the footage of ballot-box stuffing in Marneuli, eastern Georgia saying that it is ‘very immoral to use an ethnic minority to rig the elections’.

Shame shame and very immoral to use an ethnic minority to rigg the elections https://t.co/XMMjUyUTjA

— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) October 26, 2024

Report of votes being bought

OC Media’s correspondent in Chokhatauri, Guria, overheard a person in front of polling station No 1 trying to negotiate ‘₾20 ($7.30) more’ on the phone, ostensibly in exchange for their vote.

Foreign journalist denied entry to Georgia

Early on Saturday morning, Stephan Gross, a Swiss journalist, reported that he had been denied entry into Georgia for ‘other reasons’ and, after spending eleven hours in a holding area overnight, deported to Dubai. He wrote in a post on Twitter that the Georgian border control never asked him any questions, and that he was not allowed access to his phone until shortly before boarding his flight. 

Gross has been documenting the war in Ukraine since April 2022, and is the second foreign journalist with ties to Ukraine who has been denied entry to Georgia ahead of the election. 

[Read more: Czech journalist ‘detained’ in airport ahead of Georgian elections]

Voting suspended at Marneuli polling station

According to IPN, voting has been suspended in the 69th precinct of Marneuli, where, footage emerged of ballot box stuffing .

Journalist assaulted in Kutaisi

Georgian news agency CNews has reported that their journalist, Giga Gelkhvidze, was assaulted by three individuals associated with the ruling party at Kutaisi polling station No 2 after he confronted them for allegedly holding lists containing voters’ personal information.

Ballot box stuffing seen in Marneuli

A video showing several ballots being stuffed into the ballot box at the 69th precinct of Marneuli is circulating on social media.

 

Former public defender Nino Lomjaria stated that in the same area, the person who was filming the incident was physically assaulted .

The Central Election Commission has stated that ‘as far as they know’ the Interior Ministry has opened a criminal investigation into the incident.

Turnout up on previous vote by 12:00

Turnout was 22% by 12:00 this morning, Formula has announced. This figure is up from the 19% reported at the same time in 2020, but less than the 26% at the same time in 2012, the last time a change of power occurred.

Traffic jam leaving Tbilisi

OC Media has observed that traffic has come almost to a standstill on the road to leaving Tbilisi heading west.

 

On Friday, historian Beka Kobakhidze also posted on Facebook, saying that there had been a traffic jam on the westbound roads yesterday too.

Election finger marking ‘optional’ in Tbilisi

The chair of the board of the Institute of Social Research and Analysis (ISSA), Iago Kachkachishvili, wrote on Facebook that he was asked at a polling station in Tbilisi’s Vera district whether he wanted to have election marking fluid applied to his finger or not. Applying marking fluid is mandatory for voters, as it prevents multiple voting. 

Kachkachishvili added that he was not the only one who was asked this question and called on the Central Electoral Commission to respond.

Report of multiple voting

The Georgian Young Lawyers Association has reported that a person who is ‘allegedly a representative of Georgian Dream’ had voted twice in Marneuli.

They reported that the day ‘began with significant violations’ including ‘breaches of ballot secrecy’ and interference with their own observers.

Physical altercation in Zugdidi

OC Media has spoken to observers and alleged members of a physical altercation that took place in Zugdidi this morning. 

Video of the incident was first shared on social media by the UNM’s Ani Tsitlidze, who stated that a ‘Georgian Dream thug’ was physically attacking observers and precinct members. 

Dona Berishvili, the precinct chair, told OC Media that the incident happened outside the precinct room, adding that she did not leave her room and was unaware of what triggered the altercation.

Giorgi Tsulaia, the man Tsitlidze accused of engaging in violence on behalf of the ruling party, denied Tsitlidze’s accusations, and insulted her in an interview following the incident. 

He claimed that he had entered after the incident began ‘and recorded what I saw’. 

According to Tsulaia’s badge, he is an observer representing the ‘Georgian Institute for Training and Development’.  When OC Media arrived at the precinct following the incident, Tsulaia was speaking loudly and aggressively, giving instructions to those present. He explained that he was managing the situation to ensure voters could cast their ballots comfortably.

 

Tsitlidze told OC Media that Tsulaia was also known as Giorgi Jikia, and had been responsible for ‘similar actions in every election’. 

‘We previously identified him as one of the people involved in confiscating ID cards and distributing drugs to Dream’s thugs so they would create disruptions at polling stations’, said Tsitlidze. 

Zugdidi’s Precinct 9 is located in a settlement for internally displaced people, and serves 2,300 voters. Long queues were forming at the polling station on Saturday morning. 

Police told OC Media that they are looking into the incident.

More violations observed

OC Media has witnessed independent and opposition observers being prevented from entering polling station 42 in the village of Dzveli Kveshi, Kvemo Kartli. At the polling station, people are also being told to insert the ballot into the electronic device in a way that makes their vote visible. 

In the village of Nakhiduri, Kvemo Kartli, Georgian Dream representative Musa Gurbanov stood near ballot boxes and gave instructions to voters. 

Temur Khukhunaishvi, a Georgian Dream member of the Chokhatauri Municipal Assembly, was seen asking a local observer in the village of Zomleti, Guria, which village she is from and ‘whose daughter she is’.

Also in Zomleti, a person who appeared to have an intellectual disability was allowed to vote without presenting any ID. He was helped by someone identifying themself as a ‘neighbour’.

Observers

According to the Central Election Commission, 38 international and 56 local monitoring organisations have registered to observe the vote. 

Foremost among the international organisations is the OSCE, which is sending 350 short-term observers from participating states to join their core mission of 12 experts and 30 long-term observers. 

The Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the European Parliament, and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly also intend to deploy observer delegations for these elections.

Delegations from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI), American NGOs loosely associated with the Democratic and Republican parties, are also present.

The NDI delegation is being led by former US Congressman Tom Malinowski, former EU Ambassador to Georgia, Per Eklund, and NDI President, Tamara Cofman Wittes. The IRI mission is led by former US Representative John Shimkus, Swedish MP Margareta Cederfeldt, and IRI President Daniel Twining. 

Locally, the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) will deploy 600 observers to monitor up to 1,500 polling stations nationwide on election day. 

In addition, 30 Georgian civil society organisations have united to create a new election observing group ‘My Vote for EU’. According to an official statement published on 20 October, 4,200 citizens had registered with the group, of which 2,000 were selected and trained as official election observers.

EU to ‘revoke visa free access’ in the event of rigging

Rikard Jozwiak, Europe editor at RFE/RL, reported yesterday that there was enough support among EU member states to revoke visa free access to the EU for Georgian citizens in the event the election is rigged or if there were a post-election crackdown.

there is a qualified majority (55% of 🇪🇺 member states, representing 65% of 🇪🇺 population) to suspend visa lib for 🇬🇪 if the elections this weekend are fraudulent or there is bloodshed.

— Rikard Jozwiak (@RikardJozwiak) October 25, 2024

Since March 2017, Georgians have been able to enter the Schengen Area for 90 days in any 180-day period.

Ivanishvili casts his ballot

Billionaire ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili has cast his vote in Tbilisi. 

Speaking to media after casting his vote, Ivanishvili stated that Georgians had a choice between a government that served Georgians, and ‘a foreign agency that will only perform the tasks of a foreign country’. 

He repeated claims that foreign forces were directing the opposition, and aimed to ‘urgently’ pull Georgia into war. 

‘I assure you, it won't take long. It will happen instantly. Instead of taking care of the development of the country, we will have disaster and we will get the country in ruins’, said Ivanishvili. 

Reports of issues with electronic voting

OC Media journalists have observed multiple technical issues with the electronic voting devices being used across the country.

In Kutaisi’s polling station 20, the ballot-counting machine repeatedly failed to accept ballots. It was discovered that the issue was due to voters being handed two ballots that were stuck together, which the machine could not process.

[Read more: Opinion | Georgia’s new electronic voting system comes with risks]

OC Media also observed technical issues at Zugdidi’s polling station No 1, where one of three machines was turned off. According to polling station commission members and observers, the issue arose when a voter placed a wet ballot into the machine. Wet weather meant that many voters had arrived carrying umbrellas and wet clothing. 

After the ballot got stuck inside the machine, the ballot was voided and the voter was able to vote again. The machine was then turned off, sealed as per protocol, and was expected to resume operation soon.

A representative from the Coalition for Change also stated that at Zugdidi’s polling station No 1, there were at least two instances where the machine did not accept a ballot and returned it, after which the ballots were voided, and the two voters cast their votes again.

Turnout 9% at 10:00

Turnout was 9% by 10:00 this morning, the Central Election Commission (CEC) has announced. The region with the highest turnout was Racha with 12%, while Adjara and Guria saw the lowest at 7.5-8%.

During the previous parliamentary elections in 2020, turnout by this time had reached 8%.

The CEC previously announced that 3.5 million voters were eligible to participate in the elections, with approximately 3.1 million set to use electronic voting machines.

CEC ‘blocking’ Edison Research exit polls

Edison Research, an independent polling company, has reported that Central Election Commission (CEC) officials have prevented their representatives from carrying out exit polls. Edison Research has regularly been commissioned by opposition-aligned TV channel Formula to run opinion and exit polls in Georgia.

We are having an unusual amount of interference setting up interviewers for our exit poll - election officials refusing to allow us despite our CEC permission letter. Many more than in previous elections. #GeVote2024 #gevote24

— Rob Farbman (@rob_farbman) October 26, 2024

Nino Japaridze, a senior advisor at Edison Research, told Formula that they had received official confirmation that their representatives had the right to be inside a zone of 100 metres around the polling station to conduct an exit poll. In response, local CEC officials claimed they did not receive corresponding information. 

Japaradize noted that while there was minimal interference in Tbilisi, CEC representatives were ‘especially aggressive’ towards Edison Research employees in Samegrelo, while also citing interference in Kakheti. 

‘The CEC should contact its representatives and warn them to fulfil their duty. Do not interfere with our activities’.

First elections violations reported

OC Media has captured footage of voting interference in Guria. In the picture, Temur Khukhunaishvili, an election observer from the ruling Georgian Dream party and a member of the Chokhatauri Municipal Assembly (Sakrebulo) is seen standing with a voter at a voting booth in a polling station in the village of Zomleti.

At the same polling station, Nestan Imnadze, a member of the Georgian Dream youth wing without a badge or accreditation was seen attending the voting booth with multiple voters, seemingly instructing them.

The village’s ruling party mayor, Amiran Khajibegovi, was also seen by OC Media to be present at the same polling station since the morning, despite not being an observer and not being there to cast his vote. 

Other violations were reported across the country. 

ISFED, a Georgian election watchdog, reported three cases of voter buying as of 10:00 this morning, in Tkibuli, Akhmeta, and Tbilisi’s Chughureti district. 

Observers from opposition parties at the 57th polling station in Kutaisi reportedly filed a complaint following a verbal dispute, stating that the inventory at the polling station was arranged in such a way that it did not allow for full observation. 

In Zugdidi, the chair of the opposition Unity — National Movement coalition, Ana Tsitlidze, published footage on Facebook showing a physical confrontation in the city’s ninth district. In her post, Tsitlidze accused Georgian Dream ‘thug’ Giorgi Jikia of physically assaulting observers. 

In Batumi, opposition observer Gvantsa Sharadze was allegedly expelled after reporting violations.

According to Sharadze, the registrar at the precinct told voters to use a marker, which bled through the paper, thereby making visible which party voters chose. She also claimed that the chair of the commission followed a blind person into a voting booth and indicated how to mark the ballot.

According to Radio Marneuli, Georgian Dream campaign material was placed in a polling station in Marneuli, which is a violation of the election code.

Electronic voting

This year is the first election in Georgia where electronic voting machines will be widely used, with as many as 90% of voters likely to use the machines. 

The new voting technology, which was instituted as a response to demands from the OSCE and EU, is intended to help streamline and modernise the voting process, as well as improving transparency. 

There is nonetheless concern that there may be issues as voters actually turn out to cast their ballots, as it is unclear if the existing voting infrastructure and preparation from election officials is ready to effectively implement the new technology. 

Amid a pre-election environment that is already rife with disinformation and claims of fraud, there is further potential for the new voting technology to be used as scapegoat to undermine the public perception of the voting process. 

Read more: Opinion | Georgia’s new electronic voting system comes with risks

Georgian Dream leaders cast votes

Senior members of the ruling Georgian Dream party, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, have cast their votes shortly after polls opened across the country.

Papuashvili reportedly described the vote as ‘a choice between evil and good’ and ‘between godlessness and spirituality’, while telling voters that the ruling party was ‘the only choice’ today. 

Kobakhidze similarly called the vote a ‘referendum between war and peace’ and reportedly called on the opposition to recognise the 60% of votes that he expected Georgian Dream to receive in the election. 

‘This is one of the fundamental differences between us and the radical opposition. We always follow the results of the [Central Election Commission], but I call on the opposition to accept the 60% result. That the Georgian people finally refused to return to the dark past’.

Georgian Dream has in recent years passed a number of controversial amendments to the electoral code, including to the appointment and functioning of the Central Election Commission. 

[Read more: Georgia’s parliament passes controversial electoral code amendments]

Who are the parties running in the election?

This year, 18 parties and coalitions will be running, less than half the number in 2020.

The incumbent Georgian Dream party, headed by its billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, has been undefeated in the national elections since first deposing the United National Movement (UNM) in 2012. The party has grown increasingly authoritarian in recent years, as well as growing increasingly hostile towards the West.

There are four main opposition groups that are likely to cross the 5% threshold to enter parliament:

Unity — National Movement. The electoral vehicle for the UNM and its jailed leader and former president — Mikheil Saakashvili. This election they will be joined by Strategy Aghmashenebeli and several smaller groups that have previously allied with the party. 

The Coalition for Change. Formed in March, the group includes former figures from the UNM. The coalition is made up of three parties:

• Ahali: headed by former UNM chair Nika Melia and former UNM official and TV executive Nika Gvaramia. 
• Girchi — More Freedom: a libertarian party headed by Zurab Japaridze.
• Droa!: headed by former UNM official Elene Khoshtaria.

Strong Georgia. Positioning themselves as an option separate from Georgian Dream while remaining distant from the UNM. The group is made up of four parties:

• Lelo for Georgia: led by former bankers Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze.

• For the People: led by Anna Dolidze, a former deputy defence minister under Georgian Dream with a background as a human rights defender.

• Freedom Square: the creation of civil society figure Levan Tsutskiridze.

• Citizens: Led by former journalist and urban activist Aleko Elisashvili.

For Georgia. The party of Giorgi Gakhari, who served as Prime Minister under Georgian Dream from 2019 until falling out with the party in 2021.

Read more: Who’s who in Georgia’s parliamentary elections?

President Zourabichvili casts her vote

President Salome Zourabichvili has cast her vote at the 25 Kote Apkhazi street polling station in Tbilisi. Following her vote, she told media that ‘I voted not for who, but for what. I voted for a new Georgia, the one for which I returned to Georgia 22 years ago [...] We all are going to be winners this evening, there will be no losers, because Georgia will win’. 

On Friday, Zourabichvili suggested that if Georgian Dream won, she might face imprisonment. 

[Read more: President Zourabichvili warns she may be imprisoned if Georgian Dream wins]

Polls open

Polls have opened in Georgia’s parliamentary elections in what could be the most crucial vote in a generation.

The ruling Georgian Dream party, having grown increasingly authoritarian and turning away from the country’s Western allies, is facing the most serious challenge to their rule yet.

Four main opposition groups are challenging the government, hoping to collectively gain enough MPs to unseat Georgian Dream after their 12 years in power.