Author

  • Shota Kakabadze

    Shota Kakabadze is a Junior Policy Analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics. He is a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science from the University of Tartu (Estonia). Shota has obtained his Masters degree in the European Union – Russia Studies from the same university. During his doctoral studies he has been a Swedish Institute Research Fellow at Uppsala University Institute of Russia and Eurasian Studies, as well as a Junior Researcher of International Relations at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu. His main research interest includes discourses on national identity, foreign policy, Eastern Partnership. He has published several academic articles and a book chapter on Georgian national identity/foreign policy relationship.

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24/05/2024 Shota Kakabadze

“Missing Votes” and How to Find Them: Increasing Engagement of Georgian Emigrant Voters

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Author

  • Shota Kakabadze

    Shota Kakabadze is a Junior Policy Analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics. He is a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science from the University of Tartu (Estonia). Shota has obtained his Masters degree in the European Union – Russia Studies from the same university. During his doctoral studies he has been a Swedish Institute Research Fellow at Uppsala University Institute of Russia and Eurasian Studies, as well as a Junior Researcher of International Relations at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu. His main research interest includes discourses on national identity, foreign policy, Eastern Partnership. He has published several academic articles and a book chapter on Georgian national identity/foreign policy relationship.

    View all posts

Publish Date:
24-05-2024
Tags:თეგები:

The rising level of emigration from Georgia presents a significant challenge for electoral participation. Lower turnout rates among emigrants, attributed to bureaucratic and geographical barriers, contribute to the substantial number of “missing votes”. With an estimated 18% of the eligible voters residing abroad, these votes could be pivotal in diversifying Georgia’s political landscape and breaking the one-party dominance. Hence, engagement with the diaspora is gaining more and more prominence in the agenda of Georgian political parties, especially the opposition. This policy brief, following the work of Giesing and Schikora (2023), examines the voting pattern of Georgian emigrants in the last three national elections and argues that “missing votes” pose challenges to the representation and political pluralism of Georgian democracy. Addressing these challenges through policy reforms, increased engagement, and international collaboration can ensure a more inclusive electoral process, reflecting the true political preferences of all Georgian citizens, including those abroad.

Key Words: Elections, Emigrants, Democracy, Representation

Policy Brief #58 | May 2024

This publication has been produced with the generous support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Georgia. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Georgian Institute of Politics and the Embassy of Switzerland in Georgia.

 

Photo Credit: Richmond Public Library
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Shota Kakabadze

Shota Kakabadze is a Junior Policy Analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics. He is a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science from the University of Tartu (Estonia). Shota has obtained his Masters degree in the European Union – Russia Studies from the same university. During his doctoral studies he has been a Swedish Institute Research Fellow at Uppsala University Institute of Russia and Eurasian Studies, as well as a Junior Researcher of International Relations at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu. His main research interest includes discourses on national identity, foreign policy, Eastern Partnership. He has published several academic articles and a book chapter on Georgian national identity/foreign policy relationship.