The next municipal elections in Georgia are scheduled for October 4, 2025. Citizens registered across 64 municipalities will have the right to elect both representative bodies (Sakrebulos – city/municipal councils) and executive bodies (mayors) of local self-government units. The official pre-election period commenced on August 5, 2025.

With this report, ISFED assessed the current environment at the outset of the pre-election period and the extent to which the necessary conditions for holding democratic elections are in place. The assessment also takes into account the European Union’s requirement for Georgia, as a candidate country, to ensure free, fair, and competitive elections.

In ISFED’s view, the three conditions outlined in the Venice Commission’s Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters—respect for fundamental rights, stability of electoral law, and the existence of procedural guarantees—have largely not been met, significantly undermining the prospects for free, fair, and competitive elections.