Having found irregularities in a number of the local election ballot summaries in Tbilisi, we decided to examine proportional ballot summaries from 1076 polling stations in 25 polling districts for irregularities. Irregularities in Marneuli Gamgebeli (head of local administration) ballot prompted our examination of Gamgebeli ballot summaries in addition to the proportional ballot. We targeted the polling districts in the regions that were reported to have the highest number of irregularities – Kvemo Kartli, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Samegrelo and Kakheti. We found the following irregularities:

1. Discrepancies between the number of participants as reported in the ballot summaries and the sum of votes cast and invalid ballot papers. The examination of the ballot summaries in the 25 districts showed that Marneuli, Zugdidi, Akhalkalaki and Akhaltsikhe polling districts have the highest number of irregularities, e.g. the difference between the number of voters that voted as reported in the ballot summary of Polling Station 7 in Akhaltsikhe District and the sum of votes cast and invalid ballot papers is 100. Marneuli Gamgebeli and proportional ballot summaries stand out as the worst in terms of number of irregularities.

The difference between the number of voters as reported in the ballot summaries and the sum of votes cast and invalid ballot papers in the 25 polling districts is 1529, while the number of voters that voted in the elections in the 25 polling districts is  409,782.

2. Late Explanatory Notes

• Ballot summaries of Polling Stations 1, 4, 15, 33, 75 and 79 of Marneuli Polling District, Polling Station 54 of Telavi Polling District, Polling Station 11 of Bolnisi Polling District were corrected on June 17-18.

• There are inaccuracies that are more likely than not be a result of deliberate rather than an unintentional mistake, e.g. proportional ballot summary of Polling Station 1 of Marneuli Polling District gives  46 invalid ballots where it should give 19, proportional ballot summary of Polling Station 4 of Marneuli Polling District gives  62 invalid ballots where it should give 22, proportional ballot summary of Polling Station 33 of Marneuli Polling District gives  493 invalid ballots where it should give 182, and number 182 where it should give 500, proportional ballot summary of Polling Station 75 of Marneuli Polling District gives 43 invalid ballots where it should give 14, proportional ballot summary of Polling Station 79 of Marneuli Polling District gives  109 invalid ballots where it should give 34, proportional ballot summary of Polling Station 28 of Marneuli Polling District gives 236 invalid ballots where it should give 2.

3. Corrected Ballot Summaries

• Number of those who voted is changed by hand in the ballot summaries of Polling Station 6, 12, 14, 55, 58, 69, 80 and 85 of Marneuli Polling District with no explanation offered
• Number of those who voted is changed by hand in the ballot summary of Polling Station 23 of Martvili Polling District with no explanation offered

4. Too Many Invalid Ballots  

Change in the number of invalid ballots – 21,719 across the 25 polling districts – gives a cause for concern.

Discrepancies between the number of participants as reported in the ballot summaries and the sum of votes cast and invalid ballot papers across 25 polling districts

Invalid ballots, 25 polling districts

While we cannot safely rule out unintended omissions by election administrations, these irregularities (numbers not adding up, change in the number of invalid ballot papers) arouse suspicion that polling results were manipulated. We believe the Central Election Commission needs to examine these irregularities and recount votes at some of the disputed polling stations.