There may be traces of ink leakage at any time, including this year – some interested parties have used the issue of marker ink leakage for speculation, and we have taken measures to ensure that even if a ballot is incorrectly placed in the frame-envelope, there is no possibility of identifying any trace, stated Giorgi Kalandarishvili, Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC), during a briefing.
According to him, a solid paper cover will be placed above the slot where ballots are inserted into the vote-counting machine, making it impossible to identify any marker ink leakage.
“As in the previous elections, the secrecy of the vote will be ensured in these elections as well. We have seen speculative assessments and offensive accusations claiming that traces of marker ink leakage on the back of the ballot could allow identification of a voter’s choice, but this has never been the case. There is no evidence anywhere that a voter’s will was violated. We have seen cases where certain authorized individuals illegally took photos or videos inside polling stations. As a responsible institution, we recognized that some interested parties used this issue for speculation, and we have taken measures to ensure that even if a ballot is incorrectly placed in the frame-envelope, there is no possibility of identifying any trace that could allow interested parties to speculate on this issue during these elections. Therefore, we have taken measures to prevent speculation, not because secrecy was violated, but to ensure additional mechanisms are in place.
In past elections, there may have been traces of ink leakage, but this does not mean anyone had the ability to identify who a voter chose. Traces of ink leakage may occur at any time, including this year. The OSCE/ODIHR report does not mention any violation of secrecy; it refers to the possibility of compromised cases where there might have been a potential for secrecy violations, but it never states definitively that secrecy was violated. There is no link established between a voter and their ballot at any stage, meaning that even if the frame-envelope is not used or there is ink leakage, no one can ever determine which ballot belongs to which voter – it is impossible to identify who a voter chose. It is our institution’s responsibility to ensure the secrecy of the vote, and the secrecy of the vote has been and remains protected.
Regarding the special cover, it is a solid paper cover placed above the slot where ballots are inserted into the vote-counting machine. This is to ensure that, in the event of marker ink leakage when a voter inserts the ballot into the machine, it is impossible to identify any trace of the marker,” stated Giorgi Kalandarishvili.
Giorgi Kalandarishvili: There may be traces of ink leakage at any time, including this year – we have taken measures to ensure that even if a ballot is incorrectly placed in the frame-envelope, there is no possibility of identifying any trace
