Download file    
 
 
Article 103
 

Holding of elections of President of Georgia; first and second rounds, re-run elections and extraordinary elections


1. Elections of the President of Georgia shall be held at the Georgian Parliament palace from 9 a.m. of Election Day, and it shall end at 14 p.m. or any time of the same day if voted for by all members of the Election Panel.


2. Only members of the Election Panel, persons invited by the Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia, members of the CEC, and appropriate authorised representatives of the Parliament of Georgia and the Office of the CEC may be present at the elections of the President of Georgia. The election of the President of Georgia shall be broadcasted live on the air of the Public Broadcaster.


3. For elections of the President of Georgia, the first name and surname of a candidate for President of Georgia shall be indicated in a ballot paper. The text and the form of the ballot paper shall be determined by the CEC by ordinance.


4. For elections of the President of Georgia, the CEC shall print ballot papers and forward them to the Election Panel members; print the list of the Election Panel members; seal and unseal the ballot box; count votes and draw up a summary protocol of the election results.


5. Members of the Election Panel shall confirm the reception of ballot papers by signing on the list of the Election Panel members, after which they shall circle only one candidate of their interest, and shall place the ballot papers into a pre-sealed transparent ballot box.


6. A ballot paper shall be deemed invalid if:


a) it is of an unknown form;
b) it is impossible to identify, for which candidate a member of the Election Panel voted;
c) a member of the Election Panel voted for more than one candidate;
d) it is impossible to identify, who of the Election Panel members has casted his/her vote.


7. A candidate who receives at least two-thirds of the votes of all members of the Election Panel shall be considered as elected in the first round of elections.


8. If the President of Georgia is not elected in the first round of elections, the Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia shall call the second round of the Georgian Presidential Elections on the same day or not later than 7 days after the first round was held.


9. Two candidates with the best results in the first round shall be voted for in the second round. If more than two candidates have the best results, participants of the second round shall be identified based on who of the candidates with equal results was registered earlier as a candidate for President of Georgia.


10. If the candidates receive an equal number of votes in the second round of elections, the candidate who received more votes in the first round shall be considered as elected.


11. The first and second rounds of elections shall be considered as valid, if more than half of all members of the Election Panel participates therein.


12. If the elections were not valid or the Election Panel failed to elect the President of Georgia, re-run elections of the President of Georgia shall be held within 30 days.


13. The date of re-run elections of the President of Georgia shall be fixed by the Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia within 3 days after an appropriate situation occurs.


14. If the term of office of the President of Georgia is prematurely terminated, re-run elections of the President of Georgia shall be held within 45 days after termination of the term of office.


15. Extraordinary elections of the President of Georgia shall be called by the Parliament of Georgia within 10 days after premature termination of the term of office of the President of Georgia.


16. If elections of the President of Georgia and elections of the Parliament of Georgia are held simultaneously or a in the previous month, and if re-run elections and extraordinary elections of the President of Georgia are scheduled, the elections shall be held in accordance with the procedure established by this Law for holding regular elections of the President of Georgia. During re-run elections and extraordinary elections of the President of Georgia, election procedures shall be performed, instead of the time limits set by this Law for holding regular elections of the President of Georgia, not later than the 2nd day after calling the elections, in accordance with the time limits defined by the CEC ordinance. 


Organic Law of Georgia No 3266 of 21 July 2018 – website, 13.8.2018