All preparations complete for local polls, Turkey's election watchdog says

ANKARA

Turkey’s election watchdog has announced that all preparations for the March 31 municipal elections have been completed.

“We have accomplished our work to a large extent. We are waiting for the election on March 31,” Sadi Güven, the head of the Supreme Election Board (YSK), told Anadolu Agency in an interview on March 25 at the board’s new premises in Ankara.

Around 57 million Turks will head to polling stations to vote on Sunday in the local elections, which are held every five years in Turkey. Voters will cast ballots to elect municipality mayors, district mayors, municipal assemblies and neighborhood heads in the local elections.

Güven said the YSK and its provincial electoral boards have almost completed preparations for the elections and urged all citizens to cast their votes on March 31.

“This is the way to establish democracy. I hope the election results will be good for our country and our people. I hope for safe and sound elections,” Güven stressed.

Informing that voters’ lists were renewed as of March 23, he said around 146,000 people are not eligible to vote as half of them have died and the other half are serving in the military, Güven said.

The voting process will begin at 7 a.m. and end at 4.00 p.m. in 31 provinces in the eastern parts of Turkey, he said, recalling that the voting will take place between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the remaining 50 cities in the country’s western provinces.