Azerbaijan sees high voter engagement in exit polls Surveys by Italian Research Firm

Head of Italian SWG Spa market research firm Rado Fonda has said that the firm conducted exit-poll surveys at nearly 900 polling stations in Azerbaijan as of 15:00 (GMT+4).  

Fonda noted that SWG Spa is one of three international organisations authorized to carry out exit polls during Azerbaijan's snap parliamentary elections, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

"Data collection is progressing smoothly, and we have a substantial number of respondents," he said. Fonda noted that the initial batch of data was received at 13:00 (GMT+4), and the firm is now analyzing the second batch.  

Solen Le Mua, a representative of the firm, added that approximately 10,000 people have been surveyed so far. "Today, we received around 10,000 completed surveys, reflecting high citizen engagement. We encountered no issues in interacting with voters, and overall, the process has been very positive," she said.

Polls have opened in Azerbaijan's snap parliamentary elections. A total of 990 candidates are vying for 125 seats in the Azerbaijani parliament. Across the republic, 6,478 polling stations have been set up to accommodate the 6,421,960 registered voters. Notably, 51,141 citizens will be casting their votes for the first time in the elections.

The Central Election Commission has printed 6,516,567 ballot papers to ensure a smooth voting process. According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), 112,749 local observers and 589 international observers from 51 international organizations and 69 countries have been registered for the elections. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev called for the snap elections on June 28, 2024. 

The polls will remain open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Following Azerbaijan’s Election Code, the election campaign commenced on August 9, 2024, and officially paused 24 hours before the voting began, respecting the election silence period. The elections have attracted participation from 25 political parties, with candidates represented across the ballots. With nearly a thousand candidates, the competition for the parliamentary seats is expected to be intense.