CIS mission notes systematic preparations by Kazakhstan for Kurultai elections

Preparations for the election of deputies to the Kurultai of Kazakhstan are being carried out in a systematic manner. Ot was stated by the CIS Observer Mission, covering the period from 3 to 17 August.

A separate section of the report addresses the work of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and preparations undertaken by election commissions at all levels.

The Mission notes that the CEC is “systematically and consistently carrying out preparations for and conducting the electoral campaign.” The scale of the organizational effort is reflected in the figures. The election process is being administered by the CEC, 247 territorial election commissions, and 10,423 precinct election commissions, including 79 precinct commissions established abroad.

According to the observers, particular attention is being paid to the professional training of election administrators.

Training is organized under a three-stage cascading model.

At the first stage, the CEC conducts remote training for members of territorial election commissions serving on a permanent professional basis. The trained specialists then provide instruction to the remaining members of territorial election commissions, as well as to more than 31,000 chairpersons, deputy chairpersons, and secretaries of precinct election commissions. At the third stage, the heads of precinct election commissions transfer the necessary knowledge and skills to the remaining commission members.

A specialized training and methodological package is used for this purpose, containing explanations of electoral legislation and sample election-related documents.

At the same time, training is not limited to theoretical instruction. Extended seminars and coordination meetings have been held in the regions, including practical consideration of potential challenging situations at polling stations and the procedures to be followed by election commission members.

A separate training video has been prepared for precinct election commissions covering their work directly on Election Day.

Another indicator of the quality of training is mandatory online testing. Upon completion of the training, members of territorial and precinct election commissions undergo a knowledge assessment and receive an electronic certificate.

Among the positive aspects, the CIS Mission also noted the organization of training seminars for representatives of political parties, the media, civil society organizations, non-profit organizations, and accredited observers.

The interim report separately highlights the openness and transparency of the CEC’s work, including live broadcasts, the use of sign-language interpretation, participation of representatives of government bodies and political parties in CEC meetings, as well as regular briefings for journalists providing explanations of decisions adopted by the Commission.

Thus, the interim report demonstrates that preparations for voting have been organized as a multilevel system—from training tens of thousands of election administrators and simulating potential situations at polling stations to ensuring the public-facing work of the CEC and its engagement with political parties, the media, and election observers.

The CIS Observer Mission will present its final conclusions on the elections following Election Day.