Georgians head to polls for parliamentary elections

TBILISI — Voters in Georgia began casting their ballots on Saturday to elect members of the country’s parliament, with approximately 3.5 million registered voters expected to participate.

Polling stations opened at 8 am (0400 GMT) local time across the nation.

According to the Central Election Commission, voters will select 150 lawmakers in an election that will shape the next government. Notably, over 3.1 million voters will utilize electronic voting technology for the first time.

Additionally, nearly 96,000 Georgians living abroad will cast their votes at 67 polling locations across 40 countries.

Eighteen political parties, including four electoral blocs, are vying for the chance to cross the 5% electoral threshold required to enter parliament.

A party or coalition must secure at least 76 seats to independently form a government.

The ruling Georgian Dream party, in power since 2012 and the previous election’s winner with 48.22% of the vote, is aiming for a fourth consecutive term.

However, they face significant opposition from the Unity to Save Georgia alliance, led by the main opposition force, the United National Movement, which was founded by jailed former President Mikheil Saakashvili in 2001. Another challenger is the Coalition for Change, comprising recent defectors from the United National Movement.

Polls are set to close at 8 pm (1600 GMT), followed by a vote count. — Agencies