Chinese Votes Routed to Turkey in Election Mishap
Turkish Citizens in China Submit Their Votes for Presidential and General Elections
The Turkish citizens living in China have started to participate in the Presidential and General Elections set to be held on May 14 by submitting their votes to Turkey. After completing the voting process in the capital city of Beijing, the votes have been collected from the ballot boxes and sealed in diplomatic bags by the committee members and observers. These ballot papers will be sent to Turkey via a Turkish Airlines’ flight from Beijing to Istanbul at 00:10 local time. The Supreme Election Board (YSK) will receive these votes.
A total of 1,067 votes have been submitted by Turkish citizens in China. The voting process was finalized at 21:00 local time on May 7, 2021. The voters had a chance to cast their votes at the ballot boxes set up at the Turkish Embassy in Beijing and the Consulates General in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong between May 5 and May 7. According to the records of the Supreme Election Board, there are a total of 4,337 registered voters currently in China.
Out of the total number of votes submitted, 171 were from Beijing, 391 were from Shanghai, 294 were from Hong Kong, and 211 were from Guangzhou. If the Presidential Election goes to a second round, the vote submission process will be held once again on 21-22 May at Turkey’s representative offices in China.
The Turkish citizens living abroad have already begun to submit their votes for the upcoming Presidential and General Election. The Turkish government has been providing opportunities and assisting its citizens abroad to exercise their democratic right to vote from anywhere in the world. The government has also taken various measures to ensure the safety and transparency of the voting process during the pandemic.
