Kazakhstan election: Voter turnout around 63%

By Meiramgul Kussainova

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan – With the polls closing in Kazakhstan’s parliamentary election on Sunday, the country’s election authority announced 63.3% voter turnout.

According to the Central Election Commission, a low voter turnout in the capital Nur-Sultan and the most populated city Almaty were recorded, at 45.1% and 30.3% respectively.

Kazakh voters headed to polls to elect deputies for the lower chamber of parliament for a five-year term.

Around 12 million registered voters in the country started to cast ballots at 7 a.m. (0100GMT) local time. Citizens living abroad voted at the same time. The polls closed at 8 p.m. local time (1400GMT).

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, voters were checked for body temperatures and got their hands disinfected before entering polling stations nationwide.

The election was followed by nearly 400 observers from 30 countries and 10 international organizations, including delegations from the Turkic Council and the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking States.

A total of 312 candidates run for 107 seats in parliament from the ruling Nur Otan party, Ak Zhol Democratic Party, Auyl Party, and the Adal party.

After casting his vote, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said authorities did everything to ensure free and just elections, providing equal opportunities for all candidates.

The Kazakh parliament has a Senate and a lower chamber.

According to the final results of the most recent parliamentary election in 2016, the turnout rate was 77.12%.