Over 1 million Turkish citizens have voted at polling stations abroad since April 27, when voting began in the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for May 14. This was announced Wednesday evening by the Turkish Central Election Commission.
"As of 9:30 p.m. local time on May 3, the number of voters in foreign missions and at checkpoints totaled 1 million 7,165," the statement said.
3,4 mln Turkish citizens can vote abroad, 277,600 of them will use their voting right for the first time. The voting will last until May 9.
According to the CEC, 64 million Turkish citizens will be able to take part in the May 14 elections. There will be 191,884 ballot boxes installed in the country and abroad. There are four candidates for the presidential elections, the main contenders for the highest state post are considered to be incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the opposition. There are 26 parties contesting the parliamentary elections.
Local political analysts do not rule out holding presidential elections in Turkey in two rounds, as public opinion polls do not yet reveal a clear favorite in the presidential race. To win in the first round of the presidential elections in Turkey, a minimum of 50% plus one vote is needed. Many experts consider such an outcome unlikely. In this case, there will be a second round of elections, which will be held on May 28. The candidate with the majority of votes will be declared the winner.
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Based on materials from TASS