Local Elections: A Resident of Ghazaravan Wanted to Enter the Voting Booth with His Wife

In the Ghazaravan community of the Aragatsotn region, local mayoral elections are taking place today. There are two candidates: the current village mayor Hayk Asatryan, who has been in office since 2011, and Armen Hovsepyan.

The voting began at 08:00. One resident of Ghazaravan wanted to enter the voting booth with his wife, claiming that this was her first time participating in elections. The chairperson of the commission, Nana Matevosyan, stated that this was not allowed, explaining to the woman the voting procedure, after which she voted alone.

A minor dispute arose between the commission members and the chairperson. According to Hetq.am, commission member Karine Sargsyan argued that a helper should be allowed to enter the voting booth with a voter, as the voter in question was mute and could not vote alone. The chairperson clarified with the voter whether assistance was needed, and the voter declined any help, entering the booth alone.

The candidate Hayk Asatryan's representative also complained, stating that the voter should have been informed about the voting procedure before entering the booth. Commission members responded that they had no clear guidelines, simply thinking that the individual could not vote alone. The chairperson remarked, “A candidate's mother cannot have no guidance,” referring to commission member Karine Sargsyan, who is registered at the same address as candidate Hayk Asatryan.