The opposition reported violations at polling stations in Tbilisi and Batumi.

Video surveillance obstruction and carousel voting were observed at polling stations in Tbilisi during the municipal elections, while vote-buying was observed in Batumi.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," municipal elections are being held in Georgia today. 64 mayors and 2,058 local council members will be elected for four-year terms. Eight opposition parties 1 refused to participate in the elections, only the opposition "Lelo - Strong Georgia" and "Gakharia - For Georgia" did not support the boycott and nominated their candidates.

At polling station No. 33 in Tbilisi, the commission chairman is obstructing the operation of the video surveillance system of representatives of the "Lelo - Strong Georgia" party, said one of the party's leaders, Tazo Datunashvili.

He explained that party representatives and commission members installed video cameras at all 582 Polling stations in Tbilisi in accordance with the Electoral Code. "Nino Nozadze, chair of polling station No. 33 in the Nadzaladevi district, is preventing our representatives from adjusting the camera and conducting video monitoring. I am personally addressing Nino Nozadze, stating that she is committing a serious violation and a crime," InterPressNews quotes Datunashvili as saying.

Furthermore, according to Datunashvili, instances of voter bribery and carousel voting have been recorded at a number of polling stations. He believes that the authorities are attempting to falsify the voting results in this way, the Pirveli TV channel reports on its website.

In particular, according to Datunashvili, voters at polling station No. 51 in Tbilisi were given two ballots each, leading to a complaint. A similar incident was recorded at polling station No. 37.

At polling station No. 33 in Nadzaladevi, where opposition members "are not allowed to properly set up a camera," several cases were recorded of people entering and then exiting with their faces covered, indicating a carousel was in operation, the politician stated.

Cash distribution was also recorded in Mukhiani.

According to him, "dozens of complaints" about violations have already been filed in Tbilisi. Complaints are also being received in the regions, and voter bribery has been recorded at some polling stations. "For example, in Batumi, on Pirosmani Street, at polling station No. 15, a minibus is parked right outside the polling station, from which money is being distributed. "Cash distribution was also recorded in the village of Mukhiani, at polling stations No. 75 and No. 62 in Gldani," Datunashvili was quoted as saying in the publication.

According to the Central Election Commission, by 10:00 a.m. (9:00 a.m. Moscow time), 275,948 voters had cast their ballots in the municipal elections, with a turnout of 7.85%. The highest turnout was recorded in the Racha-Lechkhumi region, according to Novosti-Gruzia.

"For comparison, voter turnout in the previous local elections in 2021, amid the COVID pandemic, was 7.41% by 10:00 a.m. In the 2024 parliamentary elections, it was 9.27%," the publication notes.

As a reminder, 12 parties are participating in the elections. 2. Meanwhile, Georgian Dream faces virtually no competition in a number of districts: in 27 municipalities, the ruling party's mayoral candidates are unopposed, and in another 25, they face only one opponent, according to Novosti-Gruzia. The leaders of several opposition parties—Giorgiy Vashadze, Nika Gvaramia, Irakli Okruashvili, Zurab Japaridze, Nika Melia, and Givi Targamadze—are in prison. The "Caucasian Knot" report provides a detailed account of the persecution of protesters in Georgia.

Since November 28, 2024, opposition members and activists have been holding daily protests outside the Georgian Parliament in Tbilisi, blocking traffic on Rustaveli Avenue, demanding the release of all arrested protesters and the holding of new parliamentary elections. On October 3, the 310th day of continuous protests, activists again blocked traffic along the avenue.

Caucasian Knot has compiled materials about these municipal elections and the protests by opposition supporters on the thematic page "Georgia: Elections Amid Protests".