Elections

The millions who did not go to the ballot box in Turkey

Even if we hold the most beautiful elections in the whole world, even if we achieve the best democracy; and even if we receive a magnificent outcome that makes everybody happy, I am still in a different place at the polling station. 

The reason is that when we look at these photographs, all of us are getting smaller, we are shrinking. We are trapped in a bottleneck? 

Only one vote cast in Turkey's southeastern village

A headman in Batman's Yolveren village was all by lonesome on June 7, as he was the only person to cast a vote at his polling booth because the locality's other 16 registered voters all now live in Germany.

Village head Mehmet Alcu, 76, had to cast his vote in a neighboring village as a ballot box could not be set up in Yolveren, a Yazidi village, due to security concerns. 

What does a good citizen expect from elections in Turkey?

I have been wondering what a good citizen, who has faith in democracy, would expect from the June 7 general elections.

They would expect an outcome that would end the era of fear and pressure.

An outcome that will eliminate polarization and would allow citizens from all corners of the country to embrace each other.

Turkish parties eye more than 1 million first-time voters

Political parties in the race to send deputies to parliament during the June 7 elections are eying the votes of the more than one million individuals who have just turned 18 years old. 

A total of 1.1 million voters within Turkey and abroad will vote for the first time during upcoming elections, a number which is expected to make a difference in the results. 

Plevneliev Urges Changes to Election Rules to Boost Turnout, Reduce Vote Buying

Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev on Wednesday sumbitted to parliament a proposal to hold a national referendum on amendments to voting rules alongside the local elections on 25 October.

In remarks released by his office Plevneliev explained that the changes aim to reduce the weight of manipulated or controlled vote in the overall results and boost voter turnout.

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