Election Poll Georgia: Results from Edison Research on October 18, 2024

According to data from Edison Research, 6 parties are projected to surpass the electoral threshold and enter the Georgia parliament: GD with 56 representatives, Unity with 30 representatives, CfC with 23 representatives, ForGeo with 17 representatives, SG with 16 representatives and LP with 8 representatives.

Georgia's Parliament (Sakartvelos Parlamenti) comprises 150 members, elected for a four-year term. The October 2024 election marked the complete abolition of the previous mixed-member electoral system. The Parliament is now elected solely through proportional representation within a single nationwide constituency. A significant innovation was the introduction of an electronic voting system in most polling stations, where ballots are machine-scanned and counted to enhance the speed and transparency of results.

Since 2024, a nationwide electoral threshold of 5% applies for entry into the Georgian Parliament. Previously, this threshold had been temporarily lowered to 1%. A key tightening of the new rules is the prohibition of official electoral alliances (party blocs). Consequently, parties must either individually clear the 5% hurdle or formally merge to compete jointly. This regulation aims to consolidate the party landscape, yet significantly complicates parliamentary representation for smaller opposition parties.

Government formation in Georgia mandates a simple majority of at least 76 out of 150 parliamentary seats. The Prime Minister is nominated by the party or coalition holding the most mandates. As Georgia operates under a parliamentary system, actual executive power rests with the Prime Minister and their cabinet, while the President primarily performs representative duties. The political landscape is highly polarized, often hindering the formation of broad, cross-party coalitions and frequently leading to the dominance of a single powerful force.