Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) announced on Tuesday that district electoral officials will conduct spot checks to recount ballots from last weekend’s elections, beginning Monday.
According to the CEC, “District election commissions will conduct recounts of ballots from five polling stations, randomly selected in each election district.” The polling stations were identified through a lottery process, and results from these specific precincts will undergo a detailed recount.
The recount is set to commence at 12 p.m. (0800 GMT), with the recount in Tbilisi starting later at 5 p.m. Authorized national and international observers have been invited to oversee the process.
The ruling Georgian Dream Party was declared the winner with approximately 54% of the vote. However, opposition parties, which favor a pro-Western stance, rejected the results, labeling them fraudulent. On Monday evening, tens of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Tbilisi, demanding new elections under international supervision.
While election observers expressed concerns, these were largely focused on unfair campaign practices, including alleged attacks on opposition parties, vote-buying, and voter intimidation, rather than issues with the ballot count itself.
[…] Emergency responders continue efforts to locate the missing and repair infrastructure damage, including roads, bridges, and […]