ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 23. Kazakhstan is actively using social media to encourage young people to participate in elections, Head of the CIS Observer Mission Igor Petrishenko told journalists, Trend’s special correspondent reports from Astana.
According to Petrishenko, communication with young people is conducted not through general meetings or rallies, but via social media platforms where young people are active.
“Specific means of communication have been selected for target audiences that are potential election participants. Here, they have identified precisely the form of engagement that is acceptable and provides maximum outreach,” he said.
Petrishenko also highlighted the opportunity to vote for citizens working on a rotational basis and at enterprises with continuous production cycles.
The Head of the CIS Observer Mission also noted the use of digital solutions to work with voter lists and verify voter data directly at polling stations.
According to him, the introduction of advanced technologies and standardized nationwide campaigning demonstrates a high level of organizational preparation for the elections.
Elections to the Kurultai, Kazakhstan’s new unicameral parliament established under the Constitution that came into force on July 1, 2026, began today.
The Kurultai will consist of 145 deputies elected for a five-year term. The elections are being held under a proportional representation system, with deputies elected from party lists in a single nationwide electoral district.
According to the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan, 12,605,788 voters have been included in the electoral lists. A total of 10,423 polling stations have been prepared, including 79 polling stations in 61 countries abroad.
Seven political parties are participating in the elections: Ädilet, the Nationwide Social Democratic Party, the Baytaq Kazakhstan Green Party, the People’s Party of Kazakhstan, Auyl, the Ak Zhol Democratic Party of Kazakhstan and Respublica.
International experts are monitoring the voting process. A total of 777 international observers from 42 countries have been registered. Representatives of 13 international organizations are also participating in observation missions.
The Kurultai will replace Kazakhstan’s former bicameral Parliament, which consisted of the Mazhilis and the Senate.
As of 16:00, voter turnout in Kazakhstan’s Kurultai elections stood at 65.37%.
