We are heading to the polls tomorrow!

Turkey is heading to the polls tomorrow to elect local administrators who will serve for 5 years. In the March 31, 2024, General Local Administration Elections, more than 61 million voters will cast their ballots at approximately 208 thousand polling stations.

A voter will only be able to vote for the elections held in the electoral district where they are registered.

Voters in Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Aydın, Balıkesir, Bursa, Denizli, Diyarbakır, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Hatay, İstanbul, İzmir, Kahramanmaraş, Kayseri, Kocaeli, Konya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Muğla, Ordu, Sakarya, Samsun, Şanlıurfa, Tekirdağ, Trabzon, and Van will cast votes for "metropolitan mayor," "district mayor," "municipal council membership," and "neighborhood headman (muhtar) and council of elders."

In provinces that are not metropolitan municipalities, votes will be cast for "provincial general assembly membership," "mayor," "municipal council membership," and "neighborhood headman and council of elders." In villages, votes will be cast for "provincial general assembly membership" and "headman and council of elders."

The ballot paper for the metropolitan mayoral election will be "white," the ballot for provincial general assembly memberships will be "orange," the ballot for mayoral elections will be "blue," and the ballot for municipal council membership will be "yellow." All ballot papers will be placed in a single envelope.

VOTING HOURS

The Supreme Election Council (YSK) has moved the voting hours one hour earlier in 32 eastern provinces. Therefore, in Adıyaman, Ağrı, Artvin, Bingöl, Bitlis, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, Erzincan, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gümüşhane, Hakkari, Kars, Malatya, Kahramanmaraş, Mardin, Muş, Ordu, Rize, Siirt, Sivas, Trabzon, Tunceli, Şanlıurfa, Van, Bayburt, Batman, Şırnak, Ardahan, Iğdır, Kilis, and in penal institutions located in these provinces, the start and end times for voting will be applied as 07:00-16:00.

In other locations outside these provinces, voting hours will be 08:00-17:00.

BALLOT BOXES WILL NOT BE OPENED BEFORE THE END OF VOTING HOURS

Votes cannot be counted before 16:00 in provinces where voting hours are 07:00-16:00, and before 17:00 in other provinces. Even if all voters on the electoral roll have cast their votes, ballot boxes will strictly not be opened before the end of the voting time.

In metropolitan municipalities, the counting and tallying of ballot papers will be conducted in the order of metropolitan mayor, district mayor, municipal council membership, and headman; in other provinces, the order will be mayor, municipal council membership, provincial general assembly membership, and headman.

Pregnant women, the sick, and the disabled will cast their votes without waiting in line; the elderly will also be allowed to vote without waiting in line, and priority will also be given to voters assisting these individuals.

Entering the voting booth with image-recording or communication devices such as mobile phones, cameras, or video recorders will be prohibited.

No one may interfere with, suggest, or advise a voter regarding their vote at the polling station. Voters will leave the polling station after casting their votes.

ELECTION DAY PROHIBITIONS

On election day (tomorrow), from 06:00 until 00:00 at night, the sale of alcoholic beverages, and the serving or consumption of any kind of alcoholic beverage in establishments serving alcohol and public places, will be prohibited.

During voting hours, all public entertainment venues such as coffeehouses, cafes, and internet cafes will be closed; restaurants that function as entertainment venues will only be allowed to serve food.

Except for those tasked with maintaining security and public order, no one will be allowed to carry weapons specified in Article 6 of the Turkish Penal Code No. 5237 in villages, towns, and cities.

On voting day, radios and all types of broadcasting organizations will not be allowed to broadcast news, predictions, or commentary regarding the election and election results until 18:00.

Between 18:00 and 21:00, radios and all types of broadcasting organizations will only be allowed to broadcast news and communiqués provided by the YSK regarding the election.

All broadcasts will be free after 21:00, but the YSK may decide to lift the ban on broadcasts before 21:00 if deemed necessary.

News Source: AA