THE ELECTORAL PROCESS MUST BE CONDUCTED IN 

ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLE OF “LAW AND ORDER” - 

NURLAN ABDIROV

On August 15-17, 2026, Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nurlan Abdirov and CEC member Assel Zhanabilova visited Almaty as part of an inspection trip and got acquainted with the preparations of the major city for the elections of deputies of the Kurultai of the Republic of Kazakhstan, scheduled for August 23, 2026.

As part of the working trip, representatives of the СEC RK visited Polling Stations No. 450, 456, 73, 704, 91, 250, 269, and 686, located in various areas of the city. The readiness of the electoral infrastructure, the logistical equipment of polling stations, and the organization of the work of commissions to inform citizens and create the necessary conditions for the exercise of their electoral rights were reviewed.

Thus, the Head of the Central Election Commission got acquainted with the conditions created at the polling stations for citizens with disabilities: ramps and necessary elements of a barrier-free environment, special signs for visually impaired citizens and enlarged secret voting booths that allow citizens in wheelchairs to freely use them. He also examined the equipment of the corners for people with disabilities, where information materials are presented in accessible formats. In particular, audio versions of information about political parties and instructions on how to fill out the ballot paper are presented. Special Braille templates that can be placed over the ballot paper are provided for blind and visually impaired voters. With their help, the voter can independently familiarize himself with the contents of the ballot and freely make his choice.

Nurlan Abdirov also drew attention to the work of Polling Station No. 91, located in Gymnasium No. 25 named after Ilyas Yesenberlin. It organizes the work of the so-called "Mini-PSC", designed to promptly provide assistance to citizens who did not find themselves on the voter lists. Specialists help to clarify information about the place of registration, and if necessary, the precinct commission can register a voter at the address of such a precinct for one day, issue a ballot and give him the opportunity to vote.

"One of the important elements of raising voters' awareness about the elections is to give them individual invitations. They contain the address and contacts of the polling station where they can vote, as well as additional information. As of today, the delivery of invitations in Almaty has almost been completed. At the same time, we pay special attention to personal data protection issues, so such invitations are handed over only to the voter. It is not allowed to leave them in doors, mailboxes, and so on," - Nurlan Abdirov emphasized.

During the inspection visits, Nurlan Abdirov also talked with international observers from the OSCE/ODIHR mission, who are visiting polling stations these days.

For two days, the Central Election Commission held training seminars for about 700 representatives of Almaty precinct election commissions. The participants updated their knowledge, passed tests, and took part in the interactive game "Voting Day." They have worked out in practice the basic procedures for organizing and conducting voting, as well as algorithms for the actions of members of precinct election commissions in various situations.

Addressing the participants of the seminars, Nurlan Abdirov emphasized the importance of strict compliance with the requirements of electoral legislation and the correct organization of the work of commissions and polling stations.

"Our country now stands on the threshold of a historic event. The first elections of deputies of the Kurultai will take place on  August 23. The conduct and outcome of the electoral process directly depend on every member of the election commissions across the country. I would like to remind you that all work must be carried out in accordance with the principle of “Law and Order” - fairly, transparently, and strictly within the framework of the law. To ensure this, all 71,000 members of election commissions at various levels who will be responsible for organizing these elections must receive appropriate training. This is precisely why members of the Central Election Commission are currently inspecting polling stations in all regions of the country and organizing training seminars of this kind," - said the CEC Chairman.

Based on the results of the testing, Nurlan Abdirov instructed the leadership of the territorial election commission of the city to organize additional training on relevant topics. The issues concern the organization of out-of-precinct voting, the identification of documents confirming the credentials of international observers, the conditions for media representatives’ access to polling stations, the issuance of absentee voting certificates, and the grounds for a recount of votes.

On August 17, a meeting was also held under the chairmanship of Nurlan Abdirov with the participation of representatives of the city administration, the leadership of law enforcement and other government agencies responsible for emergency prevention, social protection and other areas. The participants of the meeting spoke about the level of readiness of the major city for the upcoming elections. The Chairman of the CEC RK outlined the importance of strengthening interdepartmental coordination and interaction for high-quality organization of work on election day. He appealed to local executive bodies to ensure comfortable working conditions at polling stations. It was noted that, given the hot weather, it is important to equip them with air conditioning and ventilation systems, especially those areas that are located in small rooms.

Representatives of the CEC RK also got acquainted with the activities of the 109 Unified Contact Center “Open Almaty”. The call center is actively involved in the process of informing and advising voters. During the election period, a specialized line has been set up on its base to promptly inform citizens about the electoral process.

Currently, the center employs 5 electoral specialists. On the eve of election day, the number of operators will increase to 20 people.

It is during this period that a significant increase in the number of calls is predicted. Currently, the center receives an average of 190 requests daily. Most often, citizens apply for questions about finding their polling station, obtaining an absentee voting certificate, organizing voting for people with limited mobility and persons with disabilities, as well as voting with temporary registration or its absence.  Thus, about 133 thousand residents of the major city contacted through various communication channels, including the 109 Contact Center, an online site search service using IIN and a Telegram bot.

It should be noted that there are nine territorial election commissions in Almaty, as well as 670 precinct election commissions. Of these, 597 were established at the place of registration of citizens, another 73 - in the places of their temporary stay. The election commissions consist of 4,721 people. Following the inventory, all 670 polling stations were found to comply with the established requirements and to be equipped with the necessary equipment.