Historic parliamentary elections are being held in Kazakhstan today, marking the country's final transition to an entirely new model of government.
Citizens Vote for the First-of-its-Kazakhstan unicameral parliament called Kurultai, which replaces the previous bicameral system (Senate and Majilis). As of 7:28 Bulgarian time, polling stations on the territory of the largest Central Asian state are already open and accepting the first voters.
What is changing in the political system of Kazakhstan?
The country's new Constitution officially entered into force on July 1, 2026, after being categorically approved by 87.15% of voters in a national referendum in March this year. With these changes, President Kassam-Jomart Tokayev has pushed through a major institutional reform, justified by the need for faster lawmaking and increased efficiency in the face of geopolitical turbulence.
The main highlights of the vote include:
- Unicameral structure: The new Kurultai will consist of exactly 145 deputies, elected for a term of 5 years.
- Fully proportional system: Single-member districts for independent candidates are completely eliminated. Voting is carried out exclusively on closed party lists within a single national constituency.
- Abolition of presidential quotas: All seats in the legislative body are distributed through direct elections, eliminating the previous practice of the head of state personally appointing some of the senators.
- Entry barrier: The mandatory threshold for political formations is 5% of valid votes. The ballots also retain the option “Against All“.
Which parties are participating and what are the predictions?
The Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan has registered a total of 545 candidates from seven officially recognized political parties. The absolute favorite in the race is the newly formed pro-presidential party „Adilet“ (translated as „Justice“), headed by Tokayev's former chief of staff - Aibek Dadebay. Earlier this year, the long-standing ruling party „Amanat“ dissolved itself and merged with „Adilet“.
According to sociological surveys by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, “Adilet“ enjoys support of over 70% among voters. The other six formations struggling to overcome the 5% threshold are: agrarian-oriented “Auyl“, liberal-conservative “Ak Zhol“, the All-State Social Democratic Party (OSDP), the People's Party of Kazakhstan (NPK), the green “Baytak“ and the business-oriented “Respublica“. Independent international analysts note that the non-system opposition and independent self-proclaimed candidates practically do not have access to the electoral process.
Scale and international monitoring
12,605,788 citizens of Kazakhstan have the right to vote in today's elections. There are 10,423 polling stations operating across the country. Due to the time difference, Kazakhs abroad were the first to vote - election day began in embassies in Japan, South Korea, Beijing and Singapore. A total of 79 polling stations are open in 61 countries around the world.
The huge stakes in the country's future foreign policy orientation and its balancing act between Russia, China and the European Union have attracted increased international interest. The election process is being monitored by 777 international observers from 42 countries and 13 global organizations, including the OSCE ODIHR, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Organization of Turkic States.
Voting in Kazakhstan will end at 8:00 p.m. local time. By law, the Central Election Commission must announce the final results within 10 days. Immediately after that, the current government will resign, and the new unicameral parliament will be tasked with approving the next prime minister.