The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia on Tuesday announced it would appeal recent rulings by the Tetritskaro and Gori district courts in central Georgia, which have called for the annulment or re-counting of votes in several polling stations. The Tetritskaro court’s Minday decision to annul results in Tsalka and Tetritskaro municipalities will be contested in the appeals court, while the CEC has already appealed a Gori court ruling.
In a statement, the CEC expressed its disagreement with the Tetritskaro court’s decision to void the results of 18 polling stations in Tsalka Electoral District No. 25 and 13 precincts in Tetritskaro No. 26. The CEC described the ruling as “unjustified” and argued it contradicted outcomes in similar cases across other courts.
“The election administration considers the decision of the Tetritskaro District Court to be unjustified and inconsistent with other first-instance court rulings on the same issue,” the statement said. The CEC added that district election commissions will file appeals in line with legal requirements.
Additionally, the CEC has already submitted an appeal against the Gori District Court’s directive for District Election Commission No. 32 to re-count invalid ballots from 15 polling stations.
The CEC sought to reassure the public on the integrity of the voting process, stating, “The secrecy of the vote is ensured by a special frame form, which, when used correctly, prevents identifying a voter’s choice.”
The statement further noted that while only seven complaints were filed nationwide during and after election day, no international observer organization reported violations of ballot secrecy.
The CEC’s appeals follow growing scrutiny over the conduct of recent elections, with opposition parties and civil society groups voicing concerns over transparency and integrity in the electoral process.
