Opposition calls for voter verification platform as CEC cites privacy concerns

The opposition coalition Unity – National Movement on Tuesday launched a new campaign, Check Yourself, Where You Voted, demanding greater transparency in voter verification amid concerns over the October 26 general election integrity.

Party representative Tamar Kordzaia urged the Central Election Commission (CEC) to make available a database on its website, allowing voters to confirm their participation and precinct details.

Gakharia for Georgia leader, ex-Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia supported the call, requesting that all voter data be transferred to an impartial platform where voters can verify whether they voted, the district of participation, and time of voting.

The CEC, however, dismissed the request, arguing that such a database could violate legal restrictions and endanger personal data.

“Creating this database carries risks of personal data exposure, which contradicts fundamental principles of elections and international best practices,” the CEC stated.

Kordzaia countered, arguing that the proposed database would be akin to the CEC’s existing voter list, which contains personal data for over three million voters. She emphasized that enabling voters to verify participation would restore public trust. Kordzaia further criticized the CEC, stating that the body “failed to conduct secret elections” by not ensuring secure ballot papers.

Preliminary results from the October 26 parliamentary elections show the ruling Georgian Dream party in the lead with 53.9%, followed by opposition parties Coalition for Change (11.03%), Unity – National Movement (10.17%), Strong Georgia (8.81%), and Gakharia for Georgia (7.77%). However, opposition parties and President Salome Zourabichvili have rejected the results, calling the election “falsified” and demanding international oversight for any new election.

The October 26 election has drawn criticism from Western nations, with Sweden suspending official cooperation with Georgia following the vote.