Election Commission says stakeholders misleading public by deliberately misrepresenting election administration’s decision

The Central Election Commission of Georgia on Thursday said stakeholders were seeking to legitimise their unfounded allegations about the October 26 parliamentary elections through the deliberate misinterpretation of the election administration’s decisions.

“This time, the attack on the election administration stems from the CEC’s decision to modify the design of various election documents, including the addition of a cover to the ballot slot on the vote counting machines. Some individuals are attempting to portray this as an admission of alleged violations in the October 26 elections. We emphasise that this decision does not constitute an acknowledgment of unfounded allegations regarding secrecy violations. By issuing the ordinance, the election administration acted proactively to prevent speculation driven by political agendas”, the Commission said.

The statement clarified that during the last elections, there were numerous instances where certain stakeholders violated the law by observing election procedures, taking photos and videos, and processing voters' personal data.

“These actions contributed to the politically motivated speculation surrounding the secrecy of the vote. Following a thorough examination of these facts, the Election Administration, as the body responsible for managing the electoral process, adopted legal acts to prevent similar actions and speculation in the future. Nevertheless, some interested parties sought to portray the ordinance detailing election day procedures as a limitation on the observation process, and the ordinance requiring the attachment of a cover to the ballot slot of the vote counting machine as an acknowledgment of a breach of ballot secrecy”, the statement noted.

“Given past experience, it was only natural to expect that these issues would once again be used by certain interested parties for speculation, to discredit the Election Administration, and to foster false perceptions within society. The scheme for attacking the Election Administration has become well known: an interested individual raises an issue on social media, which is then amplified by certain biased non-governmental organizations and political party representatives, with the aim of discrediting both the Election Administration and the electoral process as a whole. Subsequently, all of this is presented to international partners as a unified viewpoint of the electoral stakeholders, after which interested parties seek to manipulate both voters and international partners”, the CEC continued.

The Commission stressed that the primary goal of the election administration was to enhance the electoral process and to conduct each subsequent election with greater organisation, in full alignment with high international standards, “even if this serves as a basis for discrediting the organisation”.

“The modernisation of elections is a continuous and systematic process, evolving step by step. We would like to remind the public that prior to the October 26 elections, eight pilot elections were conducted using electronic technologies, with each subsequent period involving the refinement of various procedures. This is precisely what occurred after October 26. Following a thorough analysis of the election process, the election administration made the aforementioned decisions, which will ensure that the elections on October 4 are conducted in an even more optimal environment”, the statement stressed.

The Commission further mentioned the interim conclusion issued by the Prosecutor's Office, which found that none of the allegations spread by interested parties regarding the October 26 elections were substantiated.

“They failed to provide any evidence to the Prosecutor's Office and are now attempting to support its unfounded accusations by speculatively interpreting the CEC’s decisions. It appears that the objective of the interested parties is not to improve the election process, but to create as much room as possible for speculation. The election administration remains steadfast in its commitment to its stated policy: to address any manipulative or false information that could mislead voters and/or international partners, and to ensure that the public receives accurate information about the election process. Additionally, the CEC will take appropriate preventive measures to address all identified or potential risks that may create room for speculation”, the statement concluded.