A delegation from the Supreme Election Board (YSK) is scheduled to visit 11 provinces where the Feb. 6 earthquakes wreaked havoc and claimed thousands of lives. Their visit comes ahead of a debate over a postponement of the election date.
Before the catastrophe, the worst in the Republic of Türkiye, the election date was May 14. Some critics called for a postponement in the aftermath of the large-scale tragedy. The government did not comment on a possible change. Still, media outlets reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would likely adhere to the current date. At the same time, the opposition parties also announced that the elections, whose dates were already changed from June, should be held on the scheduled day.
The YSK delegation will examine whether a secure election is possible in disaster-hit areas. The disaster left a trail of destruction in its path. It is believed that many election materials, from ballot boxes to voting seals, are buried under the rubble. At the same time, some buildings used as polling stations collapsed. The delegation will check the damage and look for facilities suitable for setting up polling stations. They will also look into possibly setting up polling stations at “tent and container cities” where earthquake survivors are currently accommodated.
But the most pressing issue for the YSK is voter registrations. The board is expected to implement new regulations to facilitate the registration process for those whose residences were destroyed in the earthquake and those who had to leave their hometowns and settle in other cities. Reports say survivors who moved elsewhere will be registered where they relocated. Yet, the YSK does not plan a change in the number of lawmakers per constituency in disaster-hit provinces. The number of lawmakers is usually based on the size of the population. The bigger the population is, the more candidates are eligible to be elected.
