Polls close across Azerbaijan as municipal election counting begins

Voting in Azerbaijan's municipal elections concluded at 7:00 PM on January 29, with all polling stations across the country closing their doors. 

The process has now shifted to vote counting, Caliber.Az reports.

The elections were held at 5,846 polling stations across 118 electoral districts, with web cameras installed at 1,000 of these locations to ensure transparency. Voters in Azerbaijan were selecting 8,071 members for 685 municipalities.

In total, 5,961,987 eligible voters took part in the municipal elections.

To recap, a total of nearly 80,000 individuals, including 71,209 accredited observers, members of election commissions, and expert groups, were granted permission to observe the voting process. In addition, voters' activity was broadcast live throughout the day, ensuring transparency.

Authorities have emphasized their commitment to addressing any irregularities swiftly, with all polling stations required to report issues to the Central Election Commission (CEC). 

Voter turnout was supported by the declaration of a non-working day, boosting participation. With candidates from 24 political parties in the running, the elections have generated significant interest.

Head of the CEC Secretariat’s Information Centre Farid Orujov reported that, by 7:00 PM, 1,874,810 people had cast their votes across the country. He stated that the voter turnout was 31.45 per cent.

However, this information on the voting process and results is preliminary and holds no legal validity.

By Aghakazim Guliyev