New ballot-counting method to be used in polls

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

DHA Photo

A new ballot-counting method is introduced for the March 30 local elections due to an increase in the number of metropolitan municipalities, but it remains unclear how the general results will be evaluated.

A new metropolitan law which was approved by Parliament in late 2012 increased the number of provinces governed by metropolitan municipalities while ending provincial councils in those cities.

In previous elections the results in provincial council votes revealed how many votes a party obtains in general. Now, voters in 30 metropolitan municipalities will not vote for provincial councils, but constituents in the remaining 51 provinces in Turkey will continue to vote for the bodies.

Political parties claim that the vote in the 30 metropolitan municipalities and the total votes in the other provincial councils of the 51 provinces will provide a general outlook of the results. The High Election Board (YSK), however, has already stated that it will not make a general count.

Who will elect whom?  
      
Villages: Provincial council members, mayors for districts, muhtars (village headmen) and council of elders members.

Example: Büyükyurt, Nazımiye, Tunceli. A voter in the village of Büyükyurt will get to vote for a provincial council member for the eastern province of Tunceli, her muhtar in Büyükyurt, as well as members of the council of elders.

Provinces that are not metropolitan municipalities: Provincial council members, mayors for districts and municipal council members, muhtars and council of elders members.

Example: Kazım Karabekir, Karaman. A voter in the district of Kazım Karabekir in the Central Anatolian province of Karaman will elect provincial council members for Karaman, a mayor for Kazım Karabekir, municipal council members for Kazım Karabekir, as well as a neighborhood muhtar and council of elders members.

Metropolitan municipalities: Metropolitan municipality mayors, mayors for districts and municipal council members, muhtars and council of elders members.

Example: Duatepe neighborhood, Şişli, Istanbul. A voter in the neighborhood of Duatepe in the central Istanbul district of Şişli will vote for the overall mayor of Istanbul, the mayor of the district of Şişli, members of Istanbul’s metropolitan municipal council, members of Şişli's municipal council, a muhtar for Duatepe, as well as council of elders for Duatepe.