Some political parties asking for voters’ personal info

The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), one of the country's leading local NGOs, has stated that some political parties are asking voters for personal information, such as ID numbers, when meeting with them ahead of the October 8 Parliamentary Elections.

The GYLA has already called on citizens not to provide their personal data to anyone and explained that political parties or public officials have no right to force citizens to provide such information.

"The most vulnerable groups are refugees and socially vulnerable people, who have a fear that if they do not give out personal information, they may be deprived of social assistance. Citizens have the right not to provide such information and they will in no way be deprived of assistance because of this,” the head of GYLA, Ana Natsvlishvili, stated.

It is very likely that the GYLA will address the violation in depth in the future. However, after this revelation, Georgia’s relevant bodies should be mindful of such incidents and immediately address them.

In case some political groups manage to obtain personal information, there is a risk that the information could be used in an illegal way and threaten the transparency of the elections.

It is also very likely that the parties involved in committing such violations have lower chances of achieving success in the elections.

This incident once again shows that Georgian voters still need to be fully informed about their rights.

Georgia’s Central Election Commission and all relevant bodies should provide more information about voters’ rights and other necessary information in terms of the elections.

Addressing such matters timely and punishing those involved in wrongdoings will also reduce the likelihood of repeated incidents in the future.