Kurultai elections: CEC explains cases where ballots are declared invalid
Tengrinews.kz — The Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan has clarified the conditions under which a ballot in the Kurultai elections will be declared invalid and what errors may lead to a vote not being counted. This was announced during a CEC meeting in Astana.
Which ballots will not be counted
A ballot is considered invalid if it is:
of a non-standard format;
missing the signature of a member of the respective election commission;
marked for more than one political party;
marked with a pencil;
showing signs of erasure or other methods of tampering;
impossible to determine the voter's intent.
Therefore, when filling out the ballot, a voter must mark only one political party using the designated method to ensure their choice can be clearly identified.
Note:Voting will begin on August 23 at 7 a.m. and continue until 20:00 p.m. At certain polling stations—for example, those established in military units, continuous-cycle manufacturing facilities, shift camps, rest homes, sanatoriums, hospitals, etc.—the local commission may declare voting closed at any time if all citizens on the list have cast their ballots. Voting will take place at 10,423 polling stations, including 79 located at our country’s representative offices in 61 foreign states.
Kazakhstani citizens were also reminded of the prohibition on publishing images of completed ballots on August 23, the day of the Kurultai deputy elections. Violation of this rule carries fine of up to 130,000 tenge.
Kurultai Elections – 2026
This will be the tenth parliamentary election in Kazakhstan since 1991 and the first for the Kurultai, established under the new Constitution adopted in the 2026 constitutional referendum. To date, the Mazhilis and Senate have ceased operations, and their deputies have been dissolved.
A new legislative body, the Kurultai.
The first elections for Kurultai deputies will be held on August 23. It will consist of 145 deputies elected for five-year terms. They will independently elect the Speaker of Parliament and three Deputy Speakers.
The current government will resign following the formation of the Kurultai.
Earlier, details were released regarding the appearance of the ballot for the elections to the unicameral Parliament, the Kurultai.
Kazakhstani citizens were also reminded of the prohibition on publishing images of completed ballots on election day. Violating this rule carries a fine of up to 130,000 tenge.
Which stages of the election campaign are already complete and what voters can expect before August 23, read our report.
Read also: How to find your polling station for the Kurultai elections