Elections-2025: Belarus not opening polling stations abroad
Belarus will not open polling stations abroad, this legislative innovation is due to the lack of security measures at the sites that were previously established on the territory of other states, and a reduction in the number of diplomatic corps personnel – as informed by the Chairman of the Central Election Commission, Igor Karpenko, at a press conference today, January 10th
Mr. Karpenko noted that Belarus is not the only country that has such an experience. “In 2020, only 0.3 percent (18,455 people) of the total number of voters in the country included in the list cast their vote abroad during the election of the President of Belarus. During the 2019 parliamentary elections, the figure stood at 0.05 percent (3,275 people),” he added.
At the same time, conditions have been created in Belarus for organising the voting by Belarusian citizens permanently residing abroad and registered at the consulates. Mr. Karpenko reminded, “These people can vote at one of the six polling stations in Minsk and in five regional centres. Their addresses are available on the CEC website. We hope the neighbouring countries will create no obstacles for our citizens to cross the border in order to exercise their voting rights.”
