The day of the local elections was conducted in a calm and democratic atmosphere, observers from Democracy in Action (DnV) reported at the conclusion of the voting process today, October 12.

“Despite the peaceful atmosphere and the satisfactory turnout of citizens, the process was also accompanied by some irregularities. Assisted voting was a very common phenomenon, where many voters, especially women and young people, were assisted by their relatives or other individuals. Moreover, in many cases, assisted voting was not recorded at all in the Voting Book,” DnV said in a press release.

In the DnV announcement, it was stated that the changes made by the Central Election Commission (CEC) to polling centers for a considerable number of voters “caused serious problems on the ground, and a large number of voters were unable to cast their ballots because their names were not found on the Voters List.”

“Despite numerous changes in the voter lists, the situation was worsened due to the lack of help desks in a significant number of polling centers,” DnV added.

According to DnV, observers also noted the presence of promotional materials, posters, and business cards within a 100-meter radius of polling centers, while in some municipalities, there were cases of organized group voting.

“As the ballot counting process is about to begin, DnV calls on all commissioners to continue counting with the same dedication, knowing that this process is just as important as voting. We also call on political parties and their representatives to wait calmly for the official election results and to demonstrate political and civic responsibility,” the statement said.