You can not nominate a candidate, but you can vote in the election?

Ahead of tomorrow's early presidential elections scheduled for February 7, a contentious decision has emerged from Azerbaijan, permitting voting with expired identity cards. Reports from local websites indicate that the deputy chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC), Rovzat Gasimov, confirmed this allowance on February 5, stating that individuals with expired identity cards, particularly older versions, will still be able to cast their votes.

This move has stirred debate as it contradicts the electoral code, which lacks any provision regarding expired cards. However, the code does stipulate that the validity period of a citizen's identity card must be indicated on signature sheets for candidate registration. Signatures from individuals with expired ID cards on these sheets are deemed invalid.

According to the CEC, if a voter presents an expired identity card, lower election commissions will review the case and offer recommendations to the CEC for a final decision. Gasimov defended this approach, characterizing it as an isolated incident rather than a systemic issue.

Fazail Agamali, chairman of the Rodina party and a member of the Milli Majlis Committee on Legal Policy and state Building, in a comment for Turan rejected concerns about voting with expired identity cards, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the person behind the document.

However, critics such as Bashir Suleimanli, head of the Civil Rights Institute, have raised objections, arguing that the CEC does not have the authority to make such decisions. Suleymanli, in an interview with Azadlig Radio, claims that the expiration of the identity card makes it illegitimate, calling into question the legality of allowing citizens to vote with expired documents.Suleymanli further suggests that the decision might have been motivated by a desire to boost voter turnout, especially amid perceived disinterest in the elections due to a lack of alternative candidates and perceived shortcomings in pre-election processes.