STATEMENT FROM THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS REGARDING THE NUMBER OF CITIZENS LIVING ABROAD REGISTERED WITH CONSULATES

We would like to respond to the recent information concerning the number of compatriots living abroad who are registered with consulates.
 
Unfortunately, certain individuals have been manipulating the statistics published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' consular portal, geoconsul.gov.ge, claiming that 128,000 people have registered for the upcoming parliamentary elections. In reality, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has provided the Central Election Commission with data on 65,000 voters.
 
To clarify the data on the consular services website:
The website has been active since 2015, and its statistical figures reflect the total number of individuals who have used it since then, including those who registered with consulates.
 
It is important to highlight that consular registration is not limited to adult Georgian citizens. Minors, individuals with stateless status in Georgia, and holders of neutral travel documents—who are ineligible to vote—are also able to register. As a result, the statistical figure on the website (128,000 people) includes all these categories since 2015.
 
Furthermore, this statistic also includes individuals who initially registered through the website but later deregistered, though they remain counted as part of the overall user data.
 
Therefore, the number shown on the website represents the total number of individuals who have used the electronic consular registration system, not the current number of active consular registrations.
 
Additionally, under Georgian law, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides the Central Election Commission with the number of active voters registered with consulates only in countries where at least 50 individuals are registered, which is the minimum required to open a polling station. Consequently, the CEC does not receive data from countries where fewer than 50 citizens are registered or where elections are not held due to political or military circumstances.
 
It is regrettable that rather than offering the public accurate information about electoral procedures and regulations, certain individuals continue to manipulate this issue and mislead our compatriots. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will release a further statement on this matter.