Assembly of the Republic abolishes mixed voting system

The Assembly of the Republic has passed an amendment to the Election and Referendum Law, officially abolishing the mixed voting system for both parliamentary and municipal council elections. Under the new regulations, voters will no longer be able to combine candidates from different political parties in a single ballot.

According to Fazilet Özdenefe, Vice President of the Assembly and Republican Turkish Party MP, the change means voters must now cast their vote for a specific party. While the ability to combine different party candidates is removed, voters retain the right to choose between different candidates within the same party.

The legislative change comes ahead of the general and local elections scheduled for December 6. Observers suggest the move may reduce invalid votes and provide advantages to disciplined or highly organized political parties, potentially impacting the competitive landscape between left-leaning and right-leaning factions.