In the parliamentary elections, 362,657 out of 2,505,102 eligible voters cast their ballots between 08:00 and 11:00 a.m., or 14.48% of eligible citizens.

The turnout data was presented by Central Electoral Commission (CEC) representative Anna Grigoryan.

Voting began at 08:00 and will continue until 20:00.

Grigoryan said the CEC will present turnout data every three hours.

The turnout data as of 11:00, broken down by region, is as follows:

In Yerevan, out of 849,488 eligible voters, 122,856 participated, representing 14.46%.

In Aragatsotn Province, out of 113,441 eligible voters, 16,779 voted, or 14.79%.

In Ararat Province, out of 220,167 eligible voters, 31,550 voted, or 14.33%.

In Armavir Province, out of 226,337 eligible voters, 28,587 voted, or 12.63%.

In Gegharkunik Province, out of 177,854 eligible voters, 22,093 voted, or 12.88%.

In Lori Province, out of 213,301 eligible voters, 30,796 voted, or 14.44%.

In Kotayk Province, out of 240,528 eligible voters, 38,526 voted, or 16.02%.

In Shirak Province, out of 207,820 eligible voters, 26,178 voted, or 12.60%.

In Syunik Province, out of 106,972 eligible voters, 18,775 voted, or 17.55%.

In Vayots Dzor Province, out of 44,634 eligible voters, 7,061 voted, or 15.82%.

In Tavush Province, out of 103,434 eligible voters, 18,450 voted, or 17.84%.

Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan, a senior member of the Civil Contract party led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, cast his ballot on Sunday in the parliamentary elections.

He came to the polling station with his daughter and said he wants her to live in a “peaceful, rich, and open country.”

Speaking at a press briefing, Simonyan called on citizens to do everything to ensure a peaceful and free country.

Speaking about the ongoing criminal investigations into alleged vote-buying, as well as recordings released by law enforcement agencies, he said the public has a clearly negative opinion of the alleged bribery schemes.

“People who had no intention of voting, and those who were inclined to vote for those forces, are now either refraining or are going to vote very actively,” the Speaker of Parliament said, expressing hope that law enforcement bodies will hold everyone involved in the vote-buying schemes accountable.

Most allegations of vote buying have involved the Strong Armenia bloc.

The Speaker said he believes that only those who have distributed vote-bribes should be afraid. According to him, those political forces know they have no voters and therefore resort to such actions.

“I am sure they understand that they are going to lose and may stop engaging in politics, and the money stolen from the state will be returned so they cannot distribute vote-bribes. Seven or eight years ago we were fighting to ensure that the authorities did not distribute money; now we are fighting to ensure that the opposition does not distribute money,” the Speaker stressed, adding that a legislative initiative has already been put into circulation, under which the punishment for vote-buying will be increased from 7–8 years to 9–10 years.

Simonyan is confident that there will be no post-election processes. “If elections are free and fair, as they have been since 2018, regardless of who wins, such a thing cannot happen. It is impossible,” he said.

Simonyan said he is satisfied with the course of the campaign. He said Civil Contract has received a very warm welcome everywhere and encountered a conscious attitude. According to him, people understand that the choice is about peace and the future. Simonyan is confident that very few people will choose the past.

He believes they have increased voter turnout. “At the rally in Republic Square, I was moved several times because the energy, the sparkle in people’s eyes that I saw was something I had seen during the 2018 revolution. It was unbelievable, fantastic. We did not even think that so many people would come,” Simonyan said, adding that he hopes that in 2031, the prime ministerial candidate of the Civil Contract party will again be Nikol Pashinyan.

Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan cast his ballot in the parliamentary elections on Sunday, saying he voted for “Armenian soldiers to serve in a peaceful Armenia.”

Papikyan, a senior member of the Civil Contract party, told reporters at the polling station that he voted for “final, everlasting peace.”

“I voted for final, everlasting peace, as well as for Armenian soldiers to serve in a peaceful Armenia,” Papikyan said.

An authorized representative of the Strong Armenia bloc at a polling station was detained on Sunday after allegedly attempting to vote twice during the parliamentary elections, authorities said.

The Investigative Committee said it received a report from police that the Strong Armenia polling station representative at polling station 20/56 allegedly attempted double voting at 08:19, and the identification device triggered an alarm.

The suspect, identified only by initials A.S., has been arrested.

A criminal case on attempted double voting has been opened in the Gegharkunik Investigative Department covering the area.

Authorities said fake bomb threats targeting several polling stations were sent to voters during Armenia’s parliamentary elections via foreign phone numbers and email addresses.

The Interior Ministry confirmed that the threats were all false.

“Such actions may be considered attempts at hybrid influence and informational-psychological pressure aimed at disrupting the normal electoral process, spreading anxiety and distrust among the public, and overburdening state institutions.

The Interior Ministry’s police and law enforcement system is fully in control of the situation.

Citizens are urged not to fall for disinformation, not to spread unverified information, and to immediately inform law enforcement authorities if they receive such messages,” the ministry said in its statement.

The Pashinyan administration will continue to actively advance the peace agenda and will sign and ratify the initialed peace treaty with Azerbaijan as soon as possible, Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan told reporters after casting his ballot in the parliamentary elections.

Asked about the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process, Grigoryan, a member of the Civil Contract party, said that the initialing of the peace treaty and the 2025 Washington summit had created new opportunities for unblocking regional transport and connectivity links.

“The southern route has also become a necessity in the context of unblocking. We hope to make progress in this direction as soon as possible. The recent meeting between the deputy prime ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Armenia was also aimed at accelerating the border delimitation process as much as possible,” Grigoryan said, adding that the economic relations agenda between Armenia and Azerbaijan had been discussed intensively since August 8 of last year.

“We regularly discuss how we can expand our economic cooperation, and I hope we will have an opportunity to move forward in this direction as soon as possible. Discussions are underway on expanding exports from Armenia to Azerbaijan, as well as exports from Azerbaijan to Armenia, across various sectors,” Grigoryan said.

He added that there is currently mutual interest on both sides in advancing this agenda.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is leading the Civil Contract party ticket in its bid for re-election.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, a senior member of the Civil Contract party led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, cast his ballot on Sunday in the parliamentary elections at polling station 6/52 in Yerevan.

He told reporters afterward that he voted for “Armenia’s peace and development.”

Asked about his expectations for the elections, Mirzoyan said he was confident voter turnout would be very high.

“This is the impression I gained during the election campaign. People are very interested in the elections and understand that the future of our country depends on each and every vote. I have seen this awareness widely among our public, which is why I believe turnout will be very high.

I can also say that our people are very wise and fully understand all the nuances and challenges. I believe that in these elections, the overwhelming majority of citizens of the Republic of Armenia will vote in favor of peace. In this regard, the Armenian people will once again show the entire world that they are committed to peace,” the minister said.

Former President Serzh Sargsyan has called on voters to actively participate in the parliamentary elections after casting his ballot on Sunday. 

Sargsyan and his Republican Party are not running for office.

He told reporters after casting his ballot that he voted for “an Armenia capable of safeguarding the inviolability of its borders and ensuring the security, rights, and national dignity of its citizens.”

“I have come here to vote for an Armenia where lies and slander are condemned, and an active political stance is valued,” the third President of Armenia added.

He said the outcome of the elections depends on the voters and called on citizens to head to polling stations and vote.

Sargsyan added that he wants to see national unity in Armenia.