Governor Katrina Fischer of Béspura, Federal Council Leader Ivan Tattar and Chudniv assemblyman Alexei Sukhorukov are currently travelling back to their respective home states to attend their party rallies ahead of the presidential election results which will start being counted this evening.
After campaigning across the country over the past few months, the campaign came to a climactic end today as the candidates have crossed the nation in a final frantic twenty four hours. Communitarian Workers’ Party candidate Moleg Schnit has also finished campaigning – with polls expected to close in the next hour.
As the election comes to an end, many expect Mr Tattar to be the winner – but it is unknown whether he will gather a majority, or will need to face the country’s first run-off election to be held in two weeks time. The additional ballot will take place between the two highest challengers if no candidate reaches above 50% of the vote in today’s poll. At the beginning of the race many expected a run-off to take place, but as Tattar’s Unionist party has pulled ahead, many believe he may capture the votes required to avoid a run-off vote. In both circumstances, it is expected to be a closely run photo finish between Governor Fischer and Mr Sukhorukov for the runner-up spot, and potentially the opportunity to continue their campaign for two more weeks.
The election has been closer than many imagined – with Mr Sukhorukov’s Nationalist Party taking votes away from both major candidates. Fighting their first national election as a renewed force, the Nationalists have focused on trying to win votes in the north of the country. Fischer, who’s campaign has become increasingly defensive, took advice which saw her campaign focus on bringing out its core vote in Béspura, Chimsk and Kresnovic in the final few days. Tattar is optimistic of keeping many of the states that incumbent president Gennadiy Artamova won in his final election four years ago and previously in 2011 when facing former President and Prime Minister Koruin Gruaman.
Results will start to be counted after ballots close at 9pm across the country – with the first results not expected until the early hours of the morning. In 2011 and 2015, the final result was not declared until mid-morning on Monday. The closer 2007 race saw the result declared on Monday afternoon. If the count results in a run-off being called, it will be declared tomorrow and will take place in two weeks on Sunday 17th November.
The race has been dominated by criticisms of the ruling Coalition government led by Prime Minister Asta Dahn, who was drawn into the campaign in the final week to help support her party’s candidate. Ms Fischer, who will likely withdraw from public life if she loses the election, said on Friday that she “would not be drawn into questions about the campaign as she was focusing on speaking to voters and meeting people across the country”, but other senior party figures have been engaged in a war of words – with some calling the campaign “a complete disaster”. Should Fischer miss out on the run-off vote and come third, it would be the worst performance by a Centrist Progressive Coalition candidate in history – a result which would be damaging and deeply embarrassing for the party.
President Artamova is staying in Niveri tonight, with a press spokesperson announcing that he would not be attending the Unionist rally in Arvi. Instead Mr Artamova will take a train to the capital in the morning to speak with senior party figures. It is expected, should he reach the 50% quota, that Mr Tattar would fly to the capital to meet the president and other advisors in Karasicena tomorrow lunchtime. Should he fail to win the election outright tomorrow, Mr Tattar will instead continue campaigning and stay in Amar for an election rally.
Other results which will be counted tomorrow include the governor races in Amar, where Arvi mayor Taras Illyushin faces former Foreign Minister Dimochka Yakushkin, Béspura, with former Prime Minister Marina Yanaka in a run off against Unionist Akim Veselov and Preaisk, where incumbent Coalition Governor Yegor Brisenó will face representative Loic Hebb.
Mr Illyushin’s successor as Arvi mayor will also be elected, alongside Mr Yakushkin’s replacement in the lower house. Emajic will also elect its first representative in the Federal Assembly ahead of nominating its first ever mayor later in 2020.
