VOTERS AT THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION: SHAVKHAT 

UTEMISSOV INSPECTED WEST KAZAKHSTAN REGION’S 

PREPARATIONS FOR THE ELECTIONS

Ahead of the Kurultai deputy elections, Secretary of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan Shavkhat Utemissov visited the West Kazakhstan Region. During the visit, he reviewed polling stations, took part in a seminar, met with election commission members, and discussed current issues with government authorities.

The trust of voters in the voting results is largely determined by the professionalism of those who directly organize it at the polling station. Therefore, the level of preparation of the commissions has become one of the key issues of the visit program. Within the framework of the trip, a seminar was held with the participation of 120 representatives of territorial and precinct election commissions. In general, all 3,126 members of the regional precinct commissions are covered by cascade training.

During the visit, the CEC Secretary personally reviewed the work of the precinct election commissions No. 360, 363, 367 and 384 in the Terekta district of the region. Special attention was paid to how the knowledge gained during the training is applied in practice - in organizing out-of-station voting, verifying observers’ documents, admitting media representatives to polling stations, issuing absentee voting certificates, and making decisions on vote recounts.

In addition, the West Kazakhstan Regional Territorial Election Commission presented pilot projects in the field of digitalization of electoral processes. Among them are technological solutions designed to simplify the work of precinct commissions on election day, automate reporting, reduce paperwork, and free up time to complete basic procedures.

Shavkhat Utemissov appreciated the practical effectiveness of the new tools, as well as the geographic information portal of the regional center presented in the updated version “Oralsaylau.kz”, launched for the election of deputies of the Kurultai.

Close attention in the region is paid to informing voters. Along with traditional formats, additional ways of communicating with citizens are being introduced here, allowing them to receive the necessary information directly at their usual places of stay.

Special information points were opened at the railway station, the international airport, the city’s largest shopping and entertainment center, and in five district centers across the region. Members of the Young Voters’ Club play an important role in this work: they distribute materials prepared by the Central Election Commission, answer citizens’ questions, and help them understand the practical aspects of participating in the elections — from locating their polling station and understanding the voting procedure to obtaining an absentee voting certificate and contacting the call center.

The final part of the CEC Secretary’s working visit was a meeting on cooperation between government bodies during the preparation and conduct of the elections of Kurultai deputies. The focus was on ensuring coordinated action among all relevant services and assessing the region’s readiness for election day.

The Deputy Akim of the region and the heads of the prosecutor’s office, internal affairs bodies, emergency services, and employment and social programmes departments presented updates in their respective areas of responsibility. The discussion covered public order and security, as well as the creation of the necessary conditions for citizens to exercise their electoral rights, including persons with disabilities.

Chairman of the West Kazakhstan Regional Territorial Election Commission Adil Zholamanov outlined changes to the region’s electoral infrastructure. Since the beginning of the year, two new polling stations have been established, three polling stations with a small number of voters have been closed, and the boundaries of an additional 15 polling stations have been revised. Voters were informed of all changes in a timely manner.

Summing up the inspection visit, Secretary of the CEC RK Shavkhat Utemissov noted that, at the final stage, coordinated action and the professional responsibility of all participants in the electoral process are especially important:

“Trust in elections is built first and foremost at the local level - where voting is directly organized. That is why the coordinated work of election commissions, government bodies, and all services involved in the process is of fundamental importance. This is what makes it possible to ensure legality, transparency, and the smooth organization of voting,” - Shavkhat Utemissov concluded.

It should be noted that 502 election commissions operate in the West Kazakhstan Region.