Record Turnout: By 4:30 PM, More Than 50 Percent of Voters Have Cast Their Ballots

Half of Croatian voters, or more than 1.6 million voted by 4:30 PM on Wednesday in the elections for the 11th term of the Croatian Parliament, reported the State Election Commission (DIP). The highest turnout was recorded in the first electoral district (58.43 percent), while the lowest was recorded in the fifth electoral district (44.89 percent).

This is a significant difference compared to the elections four years ago when 34.04 percent, or 1.15 million voters, had voted by the same time. A total of three million and 773 thousand voters will decide on the representatives of the 11th parliamentary term, which is 127 thousand fewer than four years ago. Of these, three million and 511 thousand have residence in Croatia, while 222,300 are actively registered voters without residence in the country. The turnout has been high since the morning, with nearly a quarter of voters having voted by noon.

Let us remind you that 151 representatives are elected to the Parliament, 140 in ten electoral districts in Croatia, eight are elected by members of national minorities in the 12th district, and three by voters without residence in Croatia in the 11th district, which practically encompasses the entire world.

For voters without a valid ID card and those who have not picked up new ID cards on election Wednesday, 4,700 so-called blue confirmations have been issued across Croatia, based on which they can vote, it was learned from the State Election Commission (DIP).

This number is not final and will certainly increase by the closing of polling stations at 7 PM, which means that a larger number of voters will exercise their right, they added in DIP, as reported by Index. DIP previously reported that it had received inquiries from several voters who were not registered in the extracts from the voter rolls but have a valid ID card, stating that ‘there are allegedly a larger number of voters who did not pick up new ID cards after the call from the Ministry of the Interior’.

– These voters, in order to exercise their right, need to obtain a voting confirmation, the so-called blue confirmation – emphasized DIP, noting that they have requested a statement from the relevant ministries regarding this matter. DIP also stated that all voters who are at the polling station at 7 PM will be able to vote, regardless of how many there are.

For example, in Varšavska Street in Zagreb, where voters from all over Croatia who registered to vote outside their place of residence vote, and where the line is long, at 7 PM, security guards from the Zagreb City Election Commission will stand at the end of that line, and all those in front of them will be able to vote, regardless of their number, explained DIP.