Parliamentary polls in Georgia on October 1 were seen as a key test of competing visions of the country's political course. Follow the elections and their aftermath with RFE/RL.
Rikard Jozwiak took this shot in Georgia's EU Embassy in Brussels. The ink seems to work there.
Voters in Georgia's EU Embassy in Brussels cast their votes in parliamentary elections (Oct 1, 2012)
17:331.10.2012
Via Rikard Jozwiak, RFE/RL Brussels corr:
"We expect about a thousand people (voters) but for this moment there were 200 people. There were no problems, everything is ok at the moment." -- Teona Gabodze, head of the election committee in Brussels
"We haven't had any serious problems so far apart from the only problem that arises now is that people had two days prior to elections, they were given two specific days announced on TV and all sorts of media that they go and register in the consulate and be on the list of the elections committee. Because unless you are on the list, you cannot vote and there is nothing we can do to let you in and give you the right to vote. Therefore they are kind of upset, many of them, that when they come they are not in the list. They haven't had the chance to register in these two days but it is nothing we as the election commission can do about it." -- Nana Barbakadze, member of the election committee in Brussels
17:271.10.2012
UNM volunteers tell local media they're jotting down names to see how many of "our people" come vote. List includes passport #'s #gvote.
Photos from polling stations around the country. (It's the woman on the scooter again)
Georgians Go To The Polls
1/12A supporter of the ruling United National Movement party rides a scooter in Tbilisi.
Georgians went to the polls on October 1 to vote in key parliamentary elections that will shape the country's political course once its powerful president, Mikheil Saakashvili, steps down next year after nearly a decade in office.
2/12Inmates wait before receiving their ballots at a polling station in Tbilisi's Gldani Prison No. 8.
Georgians went to the polls on October 1 to vote in key parliamentary elections that will shape the country's political course once its powerful president, Mikheil Saakashvili, steps down next year after nearly a decade in office.
3/12U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Richard Norland watches the voting.
Georgians went to the polls on October 1 to vote in key parliamentary elections that will shape the country's political course once its powerful president, Mikheil Saakashvili, steps down next year after nearly a decade in office.
4/12A polling station in Tbilisi.
Georgians went to the polls on October 1 to vote in key parliamentary elections that will shape the country's political course once its powerful president, Mikheil Saakashvili, steps down next year after nearly a decade in office.
5/12A polling station in Tbilisi.
Georgians went to the polls on October 1 to vote in key parliamentary elections that will shape the country's political course once its powerful president, Mikheil Saakashvili, steps down next year after nearly a decade in office.
6/12An election official checks a voter's fingers for invisible ink at a polling station in the village of Sartichala.
Georgians went to the polls on October 1 to vote in key parliamentary elections that will shape the country's political course once its powerful president, Mikheil Saakashvili, steps down next year after nearly a decade in office.
7/12A polling station in Tbilisi.
Georgians went to the polls on October 1 to vote in key parliamentary elections that will shape the country's political course once its powerful president, Mikheil Saakashvili, steps down next year after nearly a decade in office.
8/12Observers line up in front of a wall, while a voter casts his ballot, at a polling station in Tbilisi.
Georgians went to the polls on October 1 to vote in key parliamentary elections that will shape the country's political course once its powerful president, Mikheil Saakashvili, steps down next year after nearly a decade in office.
9/12A polling station in Tbilisi.
Georgians went to the polls on October 1 to vote in key parliamentary elections that will shape the country's political course once its powerful president, Mikheil Saakashvili, steps down next year after nearly a decade in office.
10/12 A polling station in Gori.
Georgians went to the polls on October 1 to vote in key parliamentary elections that will shape the country's political course once its powerful president, Mikheil Saakashvili, steps down next year after nearly a decade in office.
11/12A polling station in Gori.
Georgians went to the polls on October 1 to vote in key parliamentary elections that will shape the country's political course once its powerful president, Mikheil Saakashvili, steps down next year after nearly a decade in office.
12/12A man leaves an election booth at a polling station in Tbilisi.
Georgians went to the polls on October 1 to vote in key parliamentary elections that will shape the country's political course once its powerful president, Mikheil Saakashvili, steps down next year after nearly a decade in office.
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17:011.10.2012
By the way, our timestamps are GMT. We're looking into getting that fixed. It's actually about 7 p.m. in Georgia now and we're still here. So don't be thinking we're not still covering....
16:341.10.2012
CEC: Voter turnout 53% (5pm), final statistics to be announced at 9pm, no major violations so far #gvote
