Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission has set November 29, 2026, as the date for snap elections of maslikhat deputies. The decision was made at a commission meeting in Astana on October 13, following the early termination of the powers of maslikhats at all levels.
The elections are expected to fill 3,447 seats in 228 maslikhats: 668 seats in 20 regional maslikhats, 626 in 38 city maslikhats and 2,153 in 170 district maslikhats. Deputies will serve five-year terms.
Candidate nominations and self-nominations will open on October 14 and close at 6 p.m. on October 27. Registration of party lists and candidates must be completed by 6 p.m. on November 1. Campaigning will run from November 1 until midnight on November 28, which will be a day of silence.
Voting on November 29 is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., although territorial election commissions may set different hours. The results will be announced within five days.
Seven parties have been approved to run on party lists: Ak Zhol, Auyl, Adilet, the Nationwide Social Democratic Party, Baytaq, the People’s Party of Kazakhstan and Respublica. Amanat has said it will not take part. The elections will use a mixed system: parties will submit lists, while candidates may run in single-member districts on behalf of parties or public associations, or as self-nominated candidates.
The election deposit is 425,000 tenge for each candidate on a party list and for each self-nominated candidate. Parties that received at least 5% of the vote in the previous election to the relevant maslikhat do not pay the deposit. Parties that received 3% to 5% pay half, and those receiving 1% to 3% pay 70%. Deposits are refunded to parties that receive at least 5% of the vote. A self-nominated candidate gets a refund if elected, receives at least 5% of the vote or dies. In other cases, the funds go to the national budget.
The Central Election Commission approved a standard election calendar and 30 forms for election documents. More than 86,000 election commission members are expected to receive training, along with representatives of parties, public associations and NGOs, campaign representatives and media workers.
