Over 54 mln dropped votes in nearly 200,000 ballot boxes

ANKARA

More than 54 million people on May 14 dropped their votes in over 197,000 ballot boxes set up across the country for the presidential runoff elections.

Though the voting process ended at 5 p.m., citizens waiting to cast ballots at polling booths during the deadline voted in turns under the supervision of attendants.

Voters were able to cast ballots with any identity document belonging to them and were not compelled to bring voter information sheets.

They were forbidden to enter the voting place with video recorders or communication devices such as mobile phones, cameras, or film cameras, which were left to the respective ballot box committees to be returned after voting.

More than 54 million people cast their votes for the runoff, indicating a participation rate of 85 percent, while around 5,700 additional ballot boxes were set up across the country, bringing the total number to nearly 198,000.

The house of a local headman in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa’s Siverek district served as a polling booth, drawing the criticism of some voters in the region.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Ali Mahir Başarır shared a video on his Twitter account, noting, “We are at the ballot box numbered 1364 in Siverek’s Kavaklıdere neighborhood. We took a report, placed an observer and ensured the security of the ballot box.”

The ballot box was established there to allow all voters to cast ballots at a common place as there is no public building in the neighborhood, the district governor’s office said in a written statement, informing that voting has been held in the same place for the last four elections.

“There has been no negative situation across the country that had an impact on the voting process,” Supreme Election Council (YSK) head Ahmet Yener told reporters late on May 28. “The objections brought to the council were evaluated and sent to the relevant provincial and district election boards.”

Yener also thanked voters, presidential candidates, political parties, YSK members and representatives and all officials who took part in the polls, who participated in the elections with common sense.

Votes cast at the ballot boxes reinstalled at 167 points in 151 representative offices across 73 countries were brought to Türkiye by “diplomatic couriers” under high security after voting at diplomatic missions ended on May 24.

More than 1.9 million votes cast by the Turkish diaspora were stored in a safe area at the ATO Congresium exhibition center in the Turkish capital and were opened simultaneously with the others at home after voting ended across the country.

Overseas voters showed a participation rate of 56 percent, an increase of more than 3 percent compared to the first round.