Vote Monitor's Impact on Georgia's 2024 Parliamentary Elections

On October 26, Georgians casted their votes in what many have called a landmark election, one that could define the nation’s direction for years to come. Georgian Parliamentary Elections 2024 was seen as a critical turning point, potentially pulling Georgia closer to Europe or reinforcing ties with Russia. The stakes were high both domestically and internationally, with many calling it a referendum on Georgia’s future.

For the ruling Georgian Dream party, in power since 2012, the election was a chance to stay in power by consolidating support with a focus on “peace and stability.” Georgian Dream framed the choice as a matter of security, arguing that only they could keep the country from being dragged into a conflict with Russia.

For the opposition, the election was about safeguarding Georgia’s democratic future and its path toward Europe. They argued that Georgian Dream’s prolonged rule had led to increasing authoritarianism and isolation from the West. While Georgian Dream portrayed itself as the only guarantee against conflict with Russia, opposition leaders saw this as their strategy to distract from the erosion of democratic norms under their leadership. Many feared that another Georgian Dream victory would push the country toward “Belarusization,” with democratic institutions gradually undermined and closer ties with Moscow. To the opposition, this election was a clear choice between aligning with the European Union, democratic reforms, and transparency, or falling further under Russia’s influence and away from Europe’s values.

In the months leading up to the election, Georgian Dream passed legislation that raised concerns. New laws, including the "foreign agent" law (understandably referred to as “Russian Law” by the opposition in Georgia) targeting NGOs and media, drew parallels with policies in Russian Foreign Agent Law. These moves sparked protests and drew criticism from rights groups who feared they could reverse hard-won democratic freedoms.

Opposition parties, meanwhile, rallied around the idea that this election was a choice between democracy and authoritarianism, between the EU and Russia. Major opposition parties united in 4 main coalitions under the President’s Georgian Charter, pledging to support President Salome Zurabishvili’s call for a technical government that would restore European ties and roll back recent restrictions on civil society. Zurabishvili also strongly stated that Georgia’s European future was on the line.

The stakes were heightened by changes in Georgia’s electoral system, which introduced a fully proportional vote for the first time, alongside a 5% threshold for parties to enter parliament. This new system required opposition groups to collaborate in order to stand a viable chance, leading to the formation of several coalitions. Georgian Dream, meanwhile, aimed to secure a constitutional majority, which would grant it unilateral legislative power.

Internationally, the election attracted significant attention. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called it a “moment of truth” for Georgia, suggesting the country’s future direction—toward Europe or away from it—was on the line. The use of a new electronic ballot-counting system added transparency to the process, but concerns remained high about possible post-election unrest due to the polarized environment.

Ultimately, the significance of the 2024 parliamentary elections in Georgia cannot be overstated. With the stakes high and the nation at a crossroads, the credibility of the electoral process was paramount to ensuring a fair and transparent outcome. In light of this importance, over 100 local and more than 60 international observation missions registered to monitor one of the most closely watched elections in independent Georgia. Prominent local observer missions, such as the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA), and the My Voice coalition—which unites dozens of local civil society organizations—committed to providing regular updates on the election environment and potential violations on election day and beyond. Internationally, organizations like OSCE/ODIHR, the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the International Republican Institute (IRI), and the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) also contributed to the observation efforts.

Among the observer organizations, the Vote Monitor tool, developed by Commit Global to enhance the election observation process, was widely adopted, with 34 local and international groups utilizing the platform. The largest among these was the My Voice coalition, which brought together 29 prominent civil society organizations, including Transparency International Georgia, the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information, Georgia’s Reforms Associates (GRASS), the Civil Society Foundation and more. Public Movement Multinational Georgia (PMMG) also used Vote Monitor, alongside the citizen initiative group Daakvirdi. Altogether, local organizations deployed Vote Monitor with a total of 3,230 observers across the country.

Internationally, the election was observed with Vote Monitor by 3 international organizations as a coalition comprising the European Platform for Democratic Elections, the Political Accountability Foundation, and the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly in Vanadzor. This international coalition had 40 observers, monitoring key areas, including the south part of Georgia populated with ethnic Armenians, with local observers.

Pre-election training from Commit Global on Vote Monitor with international observers; October 24; Tbilisi, Georgia.

The My Vote coalition conducted the largest observation mission in Georgia using the Vote Monitor tool, with 2,551 accounts created for observers. This vast team coordinated through a single reporting mechanism played a crucial role in election monitoring, enabling streamlined, real-time updates and reports. The coalition began receiving reports of violations from 7 a.m. before the polling stations were opened, with issues logged across the country. One notable incident was reported by a coalition volunteer who documented ballot-stuffing in Marneuli 69th precinct, resulting in the eventual closure of the implicated polling station. This incident underscored both the coalition's vigilance and the importance of transparent reporting during the election process.

My Vote Coalition Election Hub; 26 October; Tbilisi, Georgia.

Public Movement Multinational Georgia (PMMG) focused its observation efforts on Georgia’s ethnic minority regions, deploying 335 observers across the southern parts of the country. Given the multilingual nature of these areas, the Vote Monitor app was adapted to include Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Russian interfaces, as well as translated forms for reporting. This language inclusion facilitated participation by observers from diverse backgrounds and ensured accurate reporting across language barriers, making the process more inclusive and representative of Georgia’s minority populations.

In addition to established NGOs, the elections also saw active participation from Daakvirdi, an initiative group of university students who stepped up to observe elections with 336 observers deployed nationwide. The involvement of this group demonstrates the accessibility and user-friendliness of the Vote Monitor app and its web dashboard, allowing first-time observers to confidently participate in the monitoring process. This grassroots engagement highlights the platform's potential to empower everyday citizens in protecting democratic processes.

The international coalition of observers, comprising the European Platform for Democratic Elections, the Political Accountability Foundation, and the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor, added valuable oversight to the election process. With 40 observers covering key regions, their presence offered an external perspective on election integrity, reinforcing transparency. Notably, the international volunteers underscored significant global interest in Georgia’s democratic progress. “Using the Vote Monitor application significantly streamlined our observation process during the study trip to Georgia,” noted a representative of the EPDE in a conversation with Commit Global. “The app enabled observers to efficiently document and report irregularities in real-time, providing a more accurate and comprehensive picture of the electoral process. Given the critical importance of these elections for Georgia’s democratic development and its relationship with European institutions, precise, real-time data was essential to uphold transparency and accountability.”

Throughout election day, Vote Monitor registered an unprecedented volume of reports, with 4,424 urgent violation reports submitted through the platform and observers covering 1,840 polling stations. Observers answered over 83,039 questions in forms, flagging 3,107 cases as urgent or involving violations. This data widespread concerns that the elections were problematic and sparked immediate and intense public discourse on potential irregularities.

After the results of the elections were published, president Zurabishvili, alongside opposition parties, stated they could not recognize the results, citing tactics they described as orchestrated vote manipulation aimed at undermining Georgia's democratic process. The president called for public solidarity and urged international support, condemning the election as part of a "Russian-style" operation against Georgia's constitutional rights.

In response, local and international organizations are now compiling this evidence to demonstrate the scale of the alleged rigging, and as Georgia faces one of its most contested elections to date, the role of election monitoring and digital tools like Vote Monitor has become critical in documenting reports of misconduct. This effort by both local and international organizations highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in the democratic process. By consolidating evidence and working alongside international observers, Georgian civil society seeks to uphold its citizens' right to fair elections and continue its path toward a democratic and European future.