For the 2024 parliamentary elections, 60 precincts will be established in 53 cities across 42 countries. The CEC has made this determination, and despite the active participation of immigrants, the number of districts abroad will remain unchanged. Furthermore, the CEC has not yet released information on how many individuals are expected to vote in these precincts. The registration deadline for immigrants passed on October 7.
How many voters reside abroad?
There is no definitive answer to this question, as the government lacks statistics on the number of citizens who have emigrated from Georgia. Various estimates suggest that this number could be as high as 1.4 million. According to National Statistics Office of Georgia's data, over 163,000 people emigrated in 2023 (meaning they left the country and did not return). The UN reported that in 2019, 852,000 individuals emigrated. CEC data indicates that one precinct will be opened in the capitals of 42 countries. These include Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Great Britain, Estonia, Ireland, Israel, Canada, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, France, Slovakia, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Hungary, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Qatar, China, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, Finland, South Korea, Japan, and Australia.
In Spain, two districts will be established in Madrid and Barcelona; Azerbaijan will have three districts, all located in Baku. Turkey will also open three locations in Ankara, Istanbul, and Trabzon. In Italy, precincts will be set up in Rome, Bari, and Milan. Germany will have four districts, specifically in Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, and Stuttgart. In the USA, five regions will be operational: three in New York, one in San Francisco, and one in Washington. Greece will open three districts in Athens and two in Thessaloniki.
For the first time, polling stations are being established in the United Arab Emirates, Finland, South Korea, Japan, and Australia. The number of registered voters in these precincts varies from 52 to 136. According to the law, a minimum of 50 voters must be registered for a precinct to open, while the maximum limit is set at 3,000. The CEC has not addressed the concerns raised by immigrants, who have voiced their frustrations for months over the absence of polling stations in accessible locations. As a result, many have to travel hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of kilometers to cast their votes, which incurs significant time and financial costs. The call from immigrants to increase the number of districts has garnered support from the president, political parties, and non-governmental organizations. However, as previously noted, the CEC did not accommodate this request. Furthermore, the court declined to consider the appeals from immigrants and their advocates. The monitoring organization "Fair Elections" (ISFED) has submitted a claim to the city court regarding this matter, and the National Movement has also filed a separate lawsuit.
"Article 37 of the Constitution mandates that the government conduct elections according to the principle of universality. This means all voters, both within and outside the country, should have equal access to polling stations. Unfortunately, equal voting opportunities are not guaranteed abroad," explains Giorgi Monyava, a representative of ISFED. This is a primary reason the plaintiffs view the court's ruling as unconstitutional.
"The court has effectively stripped immigrants of their right to vote," stated Tamar Kordzaia, a representative of the United National Movement.
Following the court's decision, she told journalists, "It has once again been confirmed that all branches of the government are engaged in carrying out Bidzina Ivanishvili's agenda." She noted that the lawsuit was reviewed by Tbilisi City Court Judge Salome Samkharadze, whom Kordzaia described as a former assistant to US-sanctioned Judge Levan Musuridze.
The President of Georgia has labeled the decision to open only 60 districts abroad as a "shame."
What challenges did immigrants face for registration abroad?
Georgian citizens living outside the country faced an additional hurdle during the election registration process. According to the law, to participate in the elections, a citizen residing abroad must be registered in Georgia’s consular register or must comply with Georgian legislation while registering outside the country. Data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicates that 65,508 voters completed the consular registration process. However, these numbers are disputed by the immigrants themselves. The "My Voice" coalition, established by public organizations ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections, highlights the lack of transparency regarding the registration of citizens abroad on the electoral list. During a briefing on September 30, Londa Tholoraya, a representative of "My Voice," remarked that "as of September 26, the number of registered voters is lower than what was reported on August 9, 2024; however, she noted that "in recent weeks, the campaign to promote registration has gained momentum, leading to increased interest in registering."
According to her, based on public information released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there were 67,347 citizens of Georgia registered in the consular system as of August 9, 2024. However, by the end of September, the Ministry reported only 65,000 voters to the Central Election Commission.
"Since August 9, the number of individuals registered on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ special website through the consular registration online system has been rising daily. Consequently, the actual number of adult voters registered with consular services should exceed what the Ministry reported to the CEC," stated Londa Toloraya on September 30.
It’s important to note that the CEC relied on this data to open districts abroad. However, under current legislation, registration abroad was not limited to the end of September; emigrants could register until October 7, allowing them to enter their country of residence in the consular register. As of October 7, when registration concluded, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ web portal indicated an increase of 22,000 registered voters compared to the figures from September 26.
What challenges did IDPs living abroad encounter?
Another significant issue emerged during the electoral registration process for immigrants. It was discovered that IDPs had lost their status and were unable to register for the elections. According to the Election Code, voter lists are compiled for the CEC from various state sources, including the Ministry of IDPs from the occupied territories of Georgia, the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Protection, and the Ministries of Defense and Internal Affairs, among others.
Voters are listed in the unified registry based on their place of registration. However, IDPs are treated differently; they are included in the voter list according to their actual address. Legally, this actual address is only recognized if the individual holds IDP status. Those whose displaced person status has been revoked and who still have their registration in occupied territories are excluded from the voter lists because elections are not conducted in those areas. IDPs have indicated that in 2013, the IDP Agency updated its records, resulting in the loss of IDP status for individuals not present in Georgia at that time who were unable to return for re-registration. They assert that they were not informed about this change. Consequently, during the electoral registration process, they discovered that, in addition to their status, they were required to provide their current address to be eligible to vote. IDPs abroad were compelled to return to Tbilisi to restore their status, as the Ministry of IDPs refused to allow registration in any other way. Even if their IDP status were reinstated, they would still not be included in the electoral list. At the request of the CEC, they were obligated to list their actual address for electoral registration instead of their address in the occupied territories, which many IDPs find fundamentally unacceptable. Moreover, they received this request too late, leaving them with inadequate time to restore their status and register to vote.
"The restriction of voting rights for Georgian citizens displaced from occupied territories is shocking. We believe the Central Election Commission has the authority to enable both displaced and non-displaced citizens without registration in the controlled territory of Georgia to participate in elections by including them on a special electoral list," stated Londa Toloraya, a representative of "My Voice," during a briefing on October 3.
Both emigrants and residents believe the government has intentionally neglected to support the constitutional right of Georgians abroad to vote without obstacles. They contend that "the government is aware of the critical sentiments toward the ruling party among expatriates; hence, it creates artificial barriers for immigrants.
For context, "Georgian Dream" garnered 53.4% of the votes in precincts established abroad in 2012, followed by 39.6% in 2016 and a further decline to 29% in 2020. In the same year, the "National Movement" received 45.6%, while other parties collectively secured 25.4%.
On October 7, the President Salome Zourabichvili conducted the briefing, reiterating the obligation of public agencies to ensure smooth elections abroad. "Recently, the diaspora has become increasingly engaged in the registration process. All relevant agencies—the CEC, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and consulates—have been involved in creating various obstacles, but the diaspora has still managed to register a significant number of immigrants. It is now the duty of the consulates, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the CEC to arrange polling stations effectively to prevent any issues on election day," noted Salome Zourabichvili.
The President also mentioned that a coordination platform will be active at the residence on election day.
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