Voting in Armenia’s parliamentary elections has concluded, with all 2,005 polling stations across the country closing at 8:00 p.m., including nine polling stations operating in penitentiary institutions. The vote-counting process has now begun.
As reported by the Armenpress, the final turnout reached 48.92% by 5:00 p.m., with 1,224,957 of the 2,503,976 eligible citizens casting their ballots. This marks a decisive moment for the nation as it moves from the polling booth to the counting center, where the results will determine the composition of the next National Assembly.
The election day was marked by a mix of smooth operations and isolated criminal incidents. Law enforcement agencies quickly acted on reports of electoral misconduct. In a significant development, the Investigative Committee of Armenia launched criminal proceedings against A.H., an authorized representative of the Strong Armenia party. He was detained for allegedly directing a group of individuals to vote for his party under a specific ballot number, a clear violation of election integrity rules.
Simultaneously, the Anti-Corruption Committee and the Criminal Police neutralized a vote-buying scheme in Kotayk Province. Officers uncovered an operation distributing approximately 7.5 million Armenian drams to around 45 voters. Seven individuals, including a registered parliamentary candidate and officials from the Strong Armenia party's Charentsavan office, were detained in connection with the bribe distribution.
Another incident involved the arrest of a polling station agent for the Strong Armenia bloc, who was caught attempting to cast a second vote. The identification system at polling station 20/56 triggered an alarm, leading to immediate police intervention.
Despite these allegations, senior officials from the ruling Civil Contract party expressed confidence in the election process. Arayik Harutyunyan, Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister and the party's campaign manager, stated that the election was proceeding smoothly. He dismissed reports of widespread irregularities as "unnecessary hype," asserting that law enforcement has responded effectively to all factual alerts.
Civil Contract candidate Arusyak Julhakyan echoed these sentiments, predicting no serious post-election developments and arguing that elections in Armenia are no longer subject to fraud.
Prominent political figures turned out to vote, signaling their commitment to the democratic process. President Vahagn Khachaturyan cast his ballot, stating he voted for a "peaceful, developing, strong, and stable future" for the republic. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Defense Minister Suren Papikyan also participated, both emphasizing the importance of peace.
Former President Robert Kocharyan, leading the opposition Armenia Alliance, voted for "radical changes." Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan voted alongside his daughter, expressing his hope for a "peaceful, rich, and open country."
Previous Update
Armenians are voting today in a parliamentary election widely seen as the most consequential since the country's 2018 revolution, with the result set to shape whether the South Caucasus nation stays within Russia's orbit or accelerates its turn toward Europe. The Levant Files (TLF) is following the vote closely and will update this report as official figures emerge.
Voters are choosing the members of the 9th convocation of the National Assembly from 19 registered parties and alliances. Polls are open across the country today, with the OSCE's election observation mission — a core team based in Yerevan, backed by long- and short-term observers deployed nationwide — monitoring the conduct of the ballot. Observers are expected to issue preliminary findings at a press conference in Yerevan tomorrow, June 8.
The contest pits Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's ruling Civil Contract party against a fragmented opposition. Pashinyan has campaigned on his pro-Western foreign policy and a fragile peace process with Azerbaijan, framing the vote as a choice for stability. Polls give Civil Contract a clear lead, though aggregated trackers show its margin softened by a large bloc of undecided or silent voters — nearly a third of the electorate by some estimates.
The opposition is led by figures including former President Robert Kocharyan's Armenia Alliance and businessman Samvel Karapetyan's Strong Armenia. Karapetyan, who made his fortune in Russia, remains under house arrest — extended through the election — after his electricity assets were seized in 2025, a case the opposition casts as political repression. Russia has ramped up pressure on Yerevan in the campaign's final days, including restrictions on Armenian agricultural imports.
Under Armenia's majoritarian-modified proportional system, a party or bloc must secure a stable governing majority. If no coalition can form within six days of the preliminary results, a run-off between the two leading forces would follow on the 28th day — though Armenia has never gone to a second round, and analysts consider a first-round outcome the most likely result.
The stakes have pushed campaign rhetoric to existential extremes, with both camps warning that a vote for the other side endangers the country's survival. The Levant Files will continue tracking turnout, preliminary tallies and the international observer verdict throughout the night.