How will voters cast their ballots?

CTP Member of Parliament Ürün Solyalı has explained how voters will cast ballots in parliamentary elections after the mixed vote was abolished. Referring to Article 101 of Law No. 5/1976 on Elections and Referendums, Solyalı said ballots will list parties and candidates, and a vote for a party can be cast either by stamp alone or by stamp plus preference.

Voters who use only a stamp will press an “EVET” stamp in the box below the party's name and emblem. Those who also want to express preferences may mark their chosen names after stamping, but only among candidates of the same party. Solyalı said preferences are not mandatory, must be made in each district at half the number of candidates, fractions are not counted, and preferences across several parties are not allowed.

Based on the number of MPs announced by the Supreme Election Council, preference limits are 8 in Lefkoşa, 6 in Mağusa and Girne, 2 in İskele, and 1 each in Güzelyurt and Lefke. Solyalı said preferences in districts that do not follow the rule will be invalid, affecting only that district, while stamps and preferences in other districts will remain valid. The same voting method will apply to municipal council elections, where the mixed vote has also been abolished.