CEC Reports on Morning Voter Turnout
TBILISI- Georgia Central Election Commission (CEC) has reported that by 10:00 am 8.34 percent (292,957 people) of eligible voters had cast a ballot in today’s elections.
The CEC reported that the voting process at a polling station in Zugdidi had been delayed for 30-40 minutes. This prompted one of the members of the local election commission to refuse to participate in the draw and a nearby observer protested the procedure to seal the ballot box.
At the 61st electoral district in the Black Sea port city of Poti, the voting process was also delayed 30-40 minutes after officials inadvertently locked the door of the room where the official ballots were kept.
A first responder rescue service had to be called in to break down the door before the ballots could be handed out.
A representative of former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s United National Movement – the country’s main opposition party – was expelled from a polling station in Batumi. Observers say he was forced to leave by the local police after trying to interfere in the voting process.
By Natia Liparteliani
Edited by Nicholas Waller