Nakhchivan people vote for MPs in two Azerbaijani parliaments PHOTO

Alongside the snap parliamentary elections for the Azerbaijani parliament, elections will also be held for the Supreme Majlis of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in Nakhchivan on September 1.

Some 331 polling stations opened across 45 electoral districts in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic at 08:00 (GMT+4). Residents will have the opportunity to cast their votes until 19:00 (GMT+4), Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

The total number of voters in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is 288,356. Some 31 of those individuals will have turned 18 by election day, and 3,891 voters will be participating in the elections for the first time.

Chairman of the Azerbaijani Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov has urged citizens to actively participate in the parliamentary elections. Panahov made this appeal during a press conference on September 1. 

He emphasised that on election day, 1,000 cameras have been set up at polling stations.

"The cameras will record the voting process until the preparation of the voting protocols is complete," Panahov added.

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.