Kazakhstan Holds First Elections for the New Qurultai
On August 23, 2026, Kazakhstan held its first elections for the Qurultai, the country’s new unicameral legislative body.
The Central Election Commission announced the preliminary results of the vote on August 24.
According to the CEC, as of 8 p.m. on August 23, 9,352,151 voters had received ballots, representing 74.19 percent of all registered voters. These figures reflect the preliminary voter turnout.
Seven political parties took part in the election: Adilet Party, Nationwide Social Democratic Party, Baytaq Green Party of Kazakhstan, People’s Party of Kazakhstan, Auyl Party, Ak Zhol Democratic Party of Kazakhstan, and Respublica Party. A total of 545 candidates were included on the party lists for 145 seats in the Qurultai.
The Qurultai is Kazakhstan’s new unicameral parliament. Under the Constitutional Law “On the Qurultai of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Status of Its Deputies,” members of the Qurultai are elected for a five-year term.
The elections for the Qurultai were called by a decree of the President of Kazakhstan on July 1, 2026.
The CEC announced the preliminary election results on August 24. The final results are to be determined by the Central Election Commission in accordance with Kazakhstan’s electoral legislation.
The first Qurultai elections mark one of the key stages in Kazakhstan’s political reform and the formation of a new legislative structure.
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