Georgian Citizens Abroad Lose Right to Vote in Parliamentary Elections

“One of the important amendments to the Code concerns the voting rules of non-resident citizens, those who reside abroad. Firstly, it should be emphasized that there is no change to the fundamental voting rights of these citizens. However, the alteration affects the voting procedure itself and implies that, similarly to the rules of local self-government elections, voting in the parliamentary elections will now be possible only within Georgia's state borders.

This decision is in accordance with Article 24 of the Georgian Constitution, which guarantees the free expression of a voter’s will, including protection against foreign interference. Elections worldwide have become increasingly vulnerable to foreign interference. We frequently hear accusations of foreign interference in elections in the United States and in EU member states.  The 2024 parliamentary elections also clearly demonstrated how open and harsh political and informational pressure on voters can be.

In this regard, of course, there are particularly high risks of influence for non-resident citizens who are under the impact of a foreign jurisdiction and political environment, where the state cannot prevent interference. Also, non-resident citizens are more exposed to information manipulation. Generally, people receive information about the country’s political or economic environment from two main sources. One is the media, from which people receive filtered information, with an interpretation corresponding to editorial policy. The second one is so-called unfiltered information, which citizens receive directly through personal interactions with society or the state. In the era of disinformation and false narratives, the information gained from these two sources may be radically contradictory. This situation increases the risk of uninformed choices being made by citizens physically separated from the country.

“Accordingly, establishing a rule that voting takes place only within Georgia increases the resilience of elections, reduces the influence of external actors, and ensures a more informed and appropriate choice,” he added.

The Chairman of the Parliament claims that this model fully complies with international standards and is used in countries such as Ireland, Malta, Israel and Armenia.

For the parliamentary elections on 26 October 2024, 95,834 voters were eligible to vote abroad. The Central Election Commission opened 67 polling stations across 53 cities in 42 countries. Georgian emigrants were also demanding the creation of additional polling stations. 

It has been nearly one year since continuous demonstrations have taken place in Georgia. Participants in the protest do not recognise the legitimacy of the 2024 parliamentary elections and demand a new election. “Georgian Dream” party leaders claim that the next elections will take place in 2028 as stipulated by the Constitution.