BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 19. Local elections have begun in North Macedonia, Trend reports.
A total of 3,480 polling stations are open for voting across 81 municipalities, with 1,832,415 eligible voters.
There are 309 candidates competing for mayoral positions, and a total of 10,490 ballots are expected to be cast. The elections are being monitored by 1,451 observers, including 644 foreign and 807 local monitors. If no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote, a runoff is scheduled for November 2.
Local elections in North Macedonia are held every four years. This marks the eighth cycle of such elections, following previous rounds in 1996, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2021.