The State Electoral Commission revealed the turnout figures at 19h – overall it stands at 45.74 percent, with a notable difference between the east and the west of the country.

The eastern, largely rural 3rd and 4th district broke through the 50 percent mark and had turnout rates of 51.5 and 53.2 percent. Skopje’s urban 1st district also has a relatively high turnout rate of 47.38 percent. The 2nd district, covering parts of Skopje and Kumanovo, had a turnout of 43.37 percent at 19h, and the south-western 5th district voted with 44.87 percent. The north-western 6th district, Macedonia’s only majority ethnic Albanian electoral district, continues to lag behind far behind the rest, with a turnout of 35.46 percent.

SEC informed that 829,927 citizens voted in the first 12 hours. Voting lasts 14 hours – until 21h – to reduce crowding and potential exposure to the coronavirus, meaning that the turnout could surpass 50 percent, but would likely be below the 66 percent turnout in 2016.