# 2025 Georgian local elections

The 2025 Georgian local elections (Georgian: საქართველოს ადგილობრივი თვითმმართველობის ორგანოების არჩევნები) will be held on 4 October to elect the bodies of local government of Georgia.

## Background

On 20 January 2025, the Central Election Commission of Georgia has scheduled the municipal elections to be held on 4 October. The Commission has announced that the parties which have secured the representation in the 2024 Georgian parliamentary election would need to submit applications until 14 July, while other parties would have to collect at least 25,000 signatures no later than 1 August 2025.

## Debate over participation

As of now, all four opposition parties that crossed the electoral threshold in the 2024 parliamentary elections have not announced plans to participate in the upcoming election. They have stated that they will only consider participation if the demands of the 2024–2025 Georgian protests are met, including the holding of snap elections and the release of all political prisoners.
* Georgian Dream: “We plan to win both the mayoral and city council elections in all 64 municipalities, and I can say with full confidence and determination that we will win both by a large margin,” said Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. Rati Ionatamishvili, the chairman of the Parliament's Human Rights Committee, emphasized that the local elections will be crucial for removing the radical opposition.
* Unity: One of the leaders, Giorgi Vashadze, stated, “Participation in the local elections is excluded for me, for our party, and for the overwhelming majority of those I’ve spoken to. This year, snap parliamentary elections should be held first, followed by local elections. While we must consider all scenarios, the priority is that parliamentary elections take place first, under new rules and conditions, and then local elections. We are firmly positioned that, given the current situation, participation in the local elections is out of the question.”
* Strong Georgia: Badri Japaridze, one of the leaders of Strong Georgia, stated that they will not adhere to Georgian Dream's agenda and that their primary focus remains on holding new parliamentary elections. “Only when a proper system and a fair electoral environment are established will it be possible to hold local elections,” Japaridze said. Another member, Salome Samadashvili, emphasized, “The issue is not about who will participate in the elections, but whether elections even exist in the country. The West is telling us that the elections have been canceled.”
* For Georgia: One of the members, Teona Akubardia, said, “Ivanishvili's regime's focus on local elections serves to push parliamentary elections off the agenda. We are preparing for new parliamentary elections.”
* Girchi: Girchi has begun preparing for the local elections, as party leaders Aleksandre Rakviashvili and Iago Khvichia announced.
* Federalists: The Federalists will not participate in the local elections. According to party leader Tamar Chergoleishvili, the public's demand is for snap elections, and no party will dare to participate under these circumstances. "The crisis currently facing the country was not created by political parties, it was created by the Georgian people, by the protest electorate. Their demand is re-elections, and no political party will dare to participate in the local self-government elections while the demand for re-elections persists. So, no, we are not going to," Chergoleishvili stated.
* The far-right and homophobic group Alt-Info has begun the process of registering a new political party, "Conservatives for Georgia," following the de-registration of their previous party, the Conservative Movement, in April 2024. Konstantine Morgoshia, one of the party leaders, confirmed that Conservatives for Georgia intends to participate in upcoming elections, including potential snap parliamentary elections and local elections.

## Electoral System

Georgian Dream Executive Secretary Mamuka Mdinaradze has announced that the 2025 local elections will be conducted under the same rules as the 2017 elections. According to Mdinaradze, the Georgian Dream-led parliament will adopt the necessary amendments to the Election Code through an accelerated procedure.
The local government elections of October 21, 2017, were held with a 4% threshold. Voters elected officials for a four-year term, including:
* Mayors of 59 self-governing communities and four self-governing cities, including Tbilisi.
* 50 members of the Tbilisi City Assembly (Sakrebulo), with 25 elected in single-mandate majoritarian districts and 25 through proportional representation.
* 2,008 members of 63 assemblies in self-governing cities (excluding Tbilisi) and self-governing communities, with 945 elected proportionally and 1,063 through a majoritarian system.
For the 2021 local elections, the electoral system was revised, altering the proportion of Sakrebulo members elected under proportional and majoritarian rules. Voters elected 2,068 members of 64 assemblies and 64 mayors, including five mayors of self-governing cities. These changes also led to adjustments in district boundaries and administration. A two-round system was introduced for local majoritarian districts, with a 40% threshold. Additionally, the electoral barrier was lowered to 2.5% in Tbilisi and 3% in other districts.

## 2025 Tbilisi mayoral election

The 2025 Tbilisi mayoral election (Georgian: თბილისის მერის არჩევნები) will be held on 4 October to elect the Mayor of Tbilisi in parallel to the Tbilisi City Assembly elections.
As of now, no political party has officially announced a candidate for mayor. However, there are speculations that Georgian Dream may nominate Noshrevan Namoradze, a businessman affiliated with the ruling party, as its candidate.