In order to promote the administration of the election process in accordance with international standards, the professional training programs for the election commissions continue.

At the current stage, within the preparatory phase for the Parliamentary Elections of Georgia, the Training Centre conducted a large-scale informational-training project for all 73 District Election Commissions (DEC). In order to increase the effectiveness of election administrators’ activities the and to promote the involvement of all members of election commissions in this process, the Training Centre program was implemented with the participation of DECs full composition.

The informational-training program was held on September 12 with a hybrid methodology. Natia Zaalishvili, Director of the Training Centre, made opening remarks at the meeting held in remote format with DECs. She focused on the importance of professional training for DECs and noted that the developed program responds to the recommendations outlined in the reports of the observing organizations, considering the emphasis is given to adaptation of the members of the commissions to election novelties.

Within the framework of the remote meeting, the expert-trainers of the Training Centre discussed with the participants in detail the issues related to the mandate of the DEC, the election technological innovations and the practical aspects of the activities to be carried out focusing on the qualified service of the voters. The members of the election commissions got acquainted with the following main issues:

• international standards for conducting elections; uniform application of the legislation and the importance of the supervision mechanism on the activities of subordinate Precinct Election Commissions (PEC);
• provision of arrangement of polling booths, provision with equipment/inventory; aspects of communication/coordination with PECs on the E-day; 
• conducting the polling process using electronic technologies; guaranteeing the free expression of the voter's will; secrecy of vote and protection of voter's personal data at the polling station; supporting an inclusive electoral environment;
• ensuring the conditions for unhindered observation of the polling process;
• publicity of preliminary election results and summary protocols of PECs; the process of summarizing the polling results by the DEC
• the procedure for responding to voting applications and complaints by the DEC.

Immediately after the completion of the online module of the Training Centre, a demonstration of the operation process of the electronic devices was held in the premises of the DEC (on the spot), with the direct involvement of the members of the commissions. The participants got acquainted in practice the functionality of the voter verification machine, the special vote counting machine as well as the tablet for transmitting the preliminary results.

1117 members of 73 DECs participated in the informational-study program. A representative of the observation mission of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) attended the remote meeting. The Training Centre greatly appreciates the high interest of the observation missions towards the informational-study projects in the process of election preparation.