Legitimacy Crisis: How Georgia's Elections Were Rigged

Abstract

Georgia's October 2024 parliamentary elections have triggered a political crisis, with widespread allegations of electoral fraud undermining the legitimacy of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party's fourth consecutive victory. Opposition parties have rejected the results and boycotted parliament. Massive protests continue across the country. This analysis does not examine post-election developments but provides a comprehensive overview of the patterns and evidence indicating election manipulation. It delves into statistical anomalies and discrepancies between the official results and independent exit polls, which raise serious doubts about the election's integrity. Additionally, it details the systemic and multi-layered rigging tactics - including the exploitation of voters’ personal data, voter coercion, and large-scale abuse of state resources - that distorted the outcome and failed to reflect the will of the electorate.