Tbilisi, Georgia – On 21 May 2008 Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) conducted monitoring of polling and counting procedures in the region of Kvemo Kartli. The organization deployed its monitors to 110 polling stations in the following five election districts: Marneuli, Gardabani, Bolnisi, Dmanisi, and Tsalka, thus covering 40% of the polling stations in the region. In addition to 107 stationary monitors, TI Georgia’s monitoring mission included five groups of mobile monitors. The monitoring targeted precincts with the highest numbers of registered voters in the respective districts and ones where the majority of registered voters were ethnic minorities. TI Georgia chose to cover these districts taking into account the scale of problems observed there during the snap presidential elections of January 2008. In order to protect its monitors from possible pressure from local officials, TI Georgia recruited its election day monitors from outside the region of Kvemo Kartli.