Main findings and recommendations for 2021 local elections
Main findings The 2021 municipal elections took place against the backdrop of a global pandemic, which again posed a challenge to the organization of elections as well as to the rights of voters and other actors involved in the electoral process. The election was preceded by a long political crisis and extreme polarization. Based an […]
Discussion Summary – After the local election run-offs
Polling station, Tbilisi, Georgia, 30.10.2021. Source: AFP The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy and the second round of local elections took place in five self-governing cities and 15 municipalities as well as for 42 majoritarian seats in 24 local councils. Domestic observers agree that the second round of the local elections was […]
ISFED published final election day assessment
Information on the monitoring mission The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) monitored the October 30, 2021 Municipal election runoffs in eight municipalities, including five self-governing cities (Tbilisi, Rustavi, Batumi, Poti and Kutaisi) and 3 self-governing communities (Zugdidi, Ozurgeti and Telavi).* ISFED’s election day observation mission in these municipalities consisted of 15 mobile groups, 542 […]
Discussion Summary – Preliminary assessment of the first round of local elections in Georgia
Members of a local election commission empty a ballot box before counting votes during the municipal elections in Tbilisi, Georgia October 2, 2021. Source: REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy and the reports ISFED. What’s next? Second rounds of elections will take place in several municipalities on the 30th of […]
Preliminary statement and parallel vote tabulation
Information on the monitoring missionThe International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) monitored the October 2, 2021 Municipal elections in all electoral districts across Georgia (excluding the occupied territories).ISFED’s election day observation mission consisted of around 1,000 accredited and trained observers deployed at polling stations, 73 observers deployed at district electoral commissions and 78 […]
Discussion Summary – Assessment of the Pre-Election Environment
Tbilisi, Georgia 14 November 2020 Protest on Bidzina Ivanizhili Calls for Fair Elections on Rostavel i Street, Georgia. Photo: samurkas. The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation hosted a roundtable discussion to assess the pre-election environment in Georgia a few days prior to polling day, scheduled […]
Second interim report local elections
On September 23 the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) presented the second interim report of monitoring of official pre-election campaign. The report covers the period from 31 August up to 21 September, as well as a few separate events that either began before 31 August and carried over into the reporting period, […]
Discussion Summary – Electoral Discourse Ahead of Georgia’s Local Elections
The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation hosted a public discussion during which experts discussed the politically polarized environment, media landscape, and electoral discourse during the election campaign to the 2 October local elections. The local elections have an outsized significance with the opposition campaigning on this […]
2021 Local Self-Government Elections Official Pre-Election Period Monitoring – Second interim report
ISFED presents its second interim report ahead of the 2 October local elections covering the pre-election campaign. ISFED reported several violations and noted that the dynamics of the current pre-election campaign were significantly shaken by the reveal of covert surveillance by the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) on school principals and teachers. ISFED reported […]
CEC of Georgia to reconsider accreditation of Belarusian CEC members as election observers
We, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) and European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) are concerned about the decision of the Central Election Commission of Georgia to register Galina Mkrtchyan and Olesya Urbanovich, representatives of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Belarus, as international observers for the upcoming local elections […]