Elections for the new unicameral Kurultai may require more budget expenditure than the referendum on the new Constitution. The Central Election Commission (CEC) is not yet naming an exact figure, explaining that costs depend on the timing of the campaign and cyber defence measures.
WHY THE COSTS HAVE NOT BEEN CALCULATED YET
The exact cost of the upcoming electoral campaign has not yet been determined. CEC Secretary Shavkhat Utemisov stated that the amount of expenditure will depend on the date of the Kurultai elections, the length of the campaign, and the number of staff involved in organising the vote, reports Ulysmedia.kz.
He explained that a significant portion of the funds is traditionally allocated to paying members of election commissions. According to Utemisov, more than 70,000 people work in the electoral system across the country.
Earlier, 20.78 billion tenge was allocated from the government reserve for the republican referendum.
WHAT COULD BE THE MAIN COST OF THE CAMPAIGN
Special attention is being paid to protecting digital infrastructure. According to Shavkhat Utemisov, the commission's website is regularly subjected to cyberattacks, even outside the electoral period.
The CEC Secretary stated that an average of 7–8 attacks per week are recorded on the commission's website. During elections, this number could increase significantly. In this regard, the commission is studying international experience in protecting electoral systems. Utemisov cited Russia as an example, where up to 1.5 million DDoS attacks were recorded on the eve of elections.
The CEC noted that ensuring the stable operation of the system will require the purchase of specialised equipment.
WHY KAZAKHSTAN HAS ABANDONED ELECTRONIC VOTING
Shavkhat Utemisov also reported that Kazakhstan is not yet ready to introduce electronic voting. He cited cybersecurity issues as the main obstacle.
He noted that electronic voting is only used in 40 out of 193 countries registered with the UN. Moreover, some states later abandoned such a system or use it on a pilot basis.
Utemisov named Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway as examples of countries that have abandoned electronic voting.
CONTEXT
Elections for the new unicameral Kurultai have been scheduled for August 2026. A decree calling the elections will be signed immediately after the Constitution comes into force.
Under the new Constitution, the Kurultai is considered a unicameral supreme representative body, which will replace the current parliament and will consist of 145 deputies, elected for a term of five years.