ALMATY – Semei, an administrative center of Abai Region held its first-ever direct election for the city’s akim (mayor) on Oct. 12, marking a historic milestone in the country’s democratic reforms.
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Voting started at 7 a.m. across the city’s 128 polling stations. More than 220,000 residents of Semei were eligible to vote, the city’s administration reported.
According to the territorial election commission, voting concluded at 8 p.m. with strong public participation observed throughout the day. Accessible conditions were provided for people with disabilities, and for the first time, blind voters received election materials printed in Braille.
Ballot counting began after polls closed, with official results expected to be announced soon.
The new system of direct elections for city mayors came into force in 2025, following President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state-of-the-nation address in September 2024, where he emphasized the reform as a key step toward the democratization of public administration in Kazakhstan.
