Election Administration of Georgia

Mandate

The Election Administration of Georgia is an administrative body, which, within its authority, is independent from other state bodies and operates in accordance with the legislation of Georgia.

The election administration organizes the elections of the President of Georgia, Parliament of Georgia, municipal representative body - Sakrebulo, municipal executive body - mayor elections, referendum and plebiscite.

The supreme body of the Election Administration of Georgia is the Central Election Commission (CEC), which within its authority directs and controls election commissions at all levels and ensures uniform application of the election legislation throughout the territory of Georgia.

 
Structure

The Election Administration of Georgia is composed of:

1. CEC and its apparatus;
2. SEC and its apparatus;
3. District Election Commissions;
4. Precinct Election Commissions.

CEC

The supreme body of Election Administration of Georgia is the CEC, which, within its authority, manages and controls all levels of election commissions. The CEC is composed of a Chairperson and 11 members. The CEC Chairperson simultaneously is a member of the CEC. The Parliament of Georgia elects five members of the CEC, on the recommendation of the President of Georgia, while political unions appoint six members as set by the rule of the Organic law of Georgia "Election Code of Georgia". The term of office of the CEC Chairperson and CEC members appointed by the Parliament is five years. The organization and conduction of fair, credible, transparent elections is ensured by CEC’s Secretariat, which, with help of its structural units, carries out organizational, legal and technical support of election administration and support to the CEC.

SEC

The Supreme Election Commission of Autonomous Republic of Adjara (SEC) ensures holding of elections of Supreme Council of Autonomous Republic of Adjara, and, within its authority, ensures uniform application of electoral legislation on the whole territory of Adjara.

District Election Commission

District Election Commission is a permanent territorial body of the Electoral Administration of Georgia, which in the Election district, within its power ensures the conduct of elections, referendum, and plebiscite, oversees the process of implementation of the electoral legislation of Georgia, and ensures its uniform application. There are total of 76 DECs in Georgia. A DEC is composed of 12 members; the CEC elects five members for five year-term, while, during the election period, political unions appoint six members and the CEC elects one additional member as set by the rule of the Organic law of Georgia "Election Code of Georgia".

Precinct Election Commission

Precinct Election Commission is a temporary territorial body of the Electoral Administration of Georgia, which, within its power, ensures the conduct of elections, referendum, and plebiscite in an electoral precinct, implementation of the electoral legislation of Georgia, compliance of the procedures under the electoral legislation of Georgia during polling, exercise and protection of the rights of voters, representatives, and observers guaranteed by the Constitution of Georgia and Electoral Code. There are around 3.700 PECs created during electoral period in Georgia. A PEC is composed of 12 members; the upper election commission elects six members while political unions appoint six members as set by the rule of the Organic law of Georgia "Election Code of Georgia”.

Mission, Vision and Values of Election Administration

Our vision, as of an open, competent and reliable institution is to ensure the development and fortification of the democratic electoral process.

Our mission is to support the development of electoral culture, provide equally accessible, effective, innovative services to voters and other electoral stakeholders and conduct secure electoral processes in accordance with the international standards of credibility.

For the successful implementation of the mission, we express our corporate commitment to the following values:

Independence

We act only on the basis of the law and take decisions independently from the parties involved in the elections;

Impartiality

We make objective and law-based decisions with respect to all parties;

Transparency

We provide openness, publicity and access to information for the public;

Responsibility and accountability

We are the institution responsible for its actions and in addition to the institutions defined by the legislation, regularly reports to the public;

Professional itegrity and ethics

We manage the electoral process by competent and decent election officials facilitating to the credibility of the electoral process;

Innovation and service orientation approach

We adopt innovations in the electoral processes based on the changing needs and deliver quality-oriented service to parties involved;

Inclusiveness and gender equality

We provide for the creation of equal environment for everyone and take gender aspects into consideration in all our activities;

Proactivity and involvement

We collaborate with all electoral stakeholders to ensure credible, democratic elections.