Countdown begins for local polls as election calendar kicks in
ANKARA
As the new year dawns, Türkiye sets its sights on the forthcoming local polls scheduled for March 31, with the process kicking off with the initiation of the election calendar.
The address-based population registration system, known as MERNİS, ceased receiving and updating data yesterday.
Today will witness the unveiling of suspense lists for neighborhood areas, with the Supreme Election Council (YSK) announcing eligible political parties. These parties will, in turn, declare their intent to participate in the elections tomorrow, specifying electoral districts, candidates and procedural details.
The subsequent day will see the suspension of lists for mukhtars and individuals detained or convicted of negligent crimes.
In a bid to ensure inclusivity, applications for bedridden voters due to illness or disability to cast their votes through mobile ballot boxes will commence.
By Jan. 10, political parties must reveal their nominated candidates and the electoral districts they will contest, while Jan. 17 is the deadline for resolving objections related to suspended lists and building-based voter registrations.
The year progresses with the drawing of lots by the YSK on Jan. 27 to determine the positions of political parties on the unified ballot. Political parties have until Jan. 31 to submit their candidate lists to relevant election boards.
The finalization of voter registers on Feb. 7 signals the commencement of the determination of voting locations and ballot boxes. By Feb. 11, polling stations will be determined, paving the way for the provincial election boards to initiate preliminary preparations for the printing of combined ballots on Feb. 16.
On Feb. 20, political party district presidencies will organize lists of mayors, municipal council memberships and provincial general assembly memberships, with independent candidates submitting their applications by 5 p.m. Feb. 22 marks the deadline for political parties to address deficiencies in their candidate lists, with provisional candidate lists announced the next day.
The casting and distribution of voter information sheets will commence on Feb. 29, followed by the revelation of final candidate lists on March 3. The formation of ballot box committees will be completed by March 4.
As the election date draws near, March 21 will herald the initiation of election propaganda and prohibitions, while the distribution of voter information sheets to voters will conclude by March 24. The race to March 30 will see the conclusion of election propaganda, setting the stage for the highly anticipated elections.
