According to information provided by the GYLA’s observers as of 2 PM, polling procedures are proceeding with significant violations in certain precincts. 

The violations mainly concern the secrecy of the vote, alleged control of voters’ will, and interference with the exercise of observers’ powers.

Below we present the violations observed in the period from 10 AM to 2 PM:  

Interference with the exercise of observers’ powers: 

• At precinct no. 5 of Telavi, an observer of the GYLA was taking a photo of a violation with her mobile phone. Members of the commission snatched the phone from the observer, deleted the photo, and expelled her from the precinct;
• At precinct no. 5 of Marneuli, the GYLA’s observer was physically assaulted by another observer who represents the organization International Society of Barristers and Lawyers. The GYLA has filed a complaint and demanded that an offence report be compiled against the said observer.

Alleged control of voters’ will:  

• At precinct no. 42 in the village of Iormughanlo, Sagarejo Municipality, the GYLA’s observer filmed a violation of the secrecy of the vote. A young man at the precinct systematically enters the voting booth together with elderly voters and casts a vote. The commission members explain this by the fact that these people do not speak the Georgian language. The law allows voters to help each other, but this incident is problematic because it happens systematically; 
• Similarly to previous years, the trend of the control of voters’ will continues. Mobilization of various individuals can be observed in areas adjacent to polling stations, which creates a perception of surveillance as well as a danger of changing voter behavior. It should be noted that this is not a violation of law, but it’s a negative trend.   

Violations identified on the polling day at precincts located abroad (as of now, the polling procedures have got underway in the following precincts: Barcelona, Oslo, Rome, Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, Brussels, London):

• One complaint has been filed in the CEC in connection with a violation in the precinct of Rome. The commission members fail to check the inking on voters. In addition, the commission refused to register a complaint of the GYLA’s observer;
• In Barcelona, the polling station was opened at 8:05 AM. The GYLA’s observer was told that members of the commission were inside the polling station, but it was locked. Accordingly, the observer was unable to exercise her powers. The polling station in the electoral district of Paris was also opened late (at 8:09 AM);   
• Commission members are not informed; technical shortcomings are frequent; commission members mainly rectify them after they are told to do so. There are also organizational problems. Commisison members are late, and there are problems with supplies.   

Violations related to measures to be taken against the Covid-19 pandemic:

• At precinct no. 14 of Zestaponi, the registrars do not get the voters to take off the masks and do not check the photo in the table list. In addition, the registrars didn’t wear the relevant gloves. After a remark of the GYLA’s observer, the violation was eliminated.

 

The GYLA’s Observation Mission on the polling day 

The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association will deploy more than 700 observers to district and precinct election commissions across the country at the time of the elections of the Parliament of Georgia of October 31, 2020.  

The GYLA will pay a particular attention to the observance of electoral procedures (the process of opening of electoral precincts, voting, and summarization of voting results) as well as monitor the developments unfolding in areas adjacent to polling stations. In connection with revealed violations, the organization will also use the mechanism of strategic litigation in district election commissions and courts. 

On Election Day, the GYLA will also operate a hotline number for journalists and media organizations. By calling at the hotline, journalists and media organizations will be able to receive information they are interested in and legal consultation regarding electoral procedures, violations on the polling day, and ways of responding to them.

The hotline number is 577 36 15 20.

The GYLA will hold four press conferences regarding the process of Election Day observation at the NGO Media Center during the day. The press conferences will be held at 10 AM, 2 PM, 6 PM, and 9 PM. On November 1, the GYLA will evaluate the Election Day and hold a press conference at 12:30 PM.

 

The GYLA’s monitoring mission of the polling day of the parliamentary elections was made possible with the funding of the embassies of Norway and Great Britain, the EU Delegation to Georgia, and the Open Society Georgia Foundation. The opinions expressed in the statement are those of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association and its content may not express the views of the donor organizations.