According to data from the Center for Monitoring and Research (CeMI), 6.6% of citizens voted in the presidential elections by 9 am.
CeMI's PR coordinator, Maja Bjelic, said that 7.4 percent of citizens voted in Podgorica by 9 AM, 5.6 percent in the southern region, and 6.5 percent in the northern region.
"If we look back at previous elections, the turnout in the presidential elections in 2018 by 9 o'clock was 6.2 percent, in the parliamentary elections in 2020, 14.7 percent, and in the parliamentary elections in 2016, 6.67 percent," said Bjelic.
She also said that since the opening of the polling stations until the first cut at 9 o'clock, no significant irregularities were observed.
"Irregularities observed reflected the usual problems during the opening of polling stations and the start of the voting process. "These are primarily failures in the work of the polling boards, which were related to voting without signing the extract from the Voters' list and reading the names of the voters during identification out loud" said Bijelic.
She said that advertising materials were also noticed near the polling stations.
„At four polling stations, the polling boards asked CeMI's observers to provide them with documentation that is not needed or does not exist and thus tried to hinder them in their work. Although the problems have been overcome, we appeal to the polling boards not to interfere with the work of our observers and to contact the municipal commissions if they have any doubts.“-Bijelić added
She reminded that CeMI's monitoring mission consists of 450 accredited observers, dispersed in polling stations all around Montenegro.
„CeMI's observers are following the course of voting for presidential elections on 450 polling stations. 542 152 citizens have their voter's rights in Montenegro, and exercise it in 1162 polling stations in total“, Bjelić said.
She invited citizens to report observed irregularities to CeMI's legal team by using the following phone number 020 511 513, as well as through the Fair Elections application, which is available on the play store and on the website www.ferizbori.me.
"After the report, our legal team will process irregularities and inform the media as well as the entire public about it through social media and other channels and call the authorities to account," said Bjelic.
During the election day on March 19th, the Center for Monitoring and Research - CeMI will communicate the processed data related to voters' turnout during the election day, voting trends, assessment of the results after the closing of the polling stations to the public through regular press conferences that are broadcasted live on CeMI's YouTube channel, websites www.ferizbori.me and www.cemi.izbori.org.me, official profiles in social media, primarily Facebook and Twitter.
The mission of civil monitoring of the presidential elections in Montenegro in 2023 is implemented with the support of the British Embassy in Podgorica.
The next turn out cross-section will be published at 11 o'clock.
