At Stake in this Election: 

On 6 October 2024, Kazakhstan will hold a referendum on constructing a nuclear power plant. Despite its status as a major source of uranium ore, Kazakhstan does not currently use nuclear power, instead relying largely on coal-fired power plants. The referendum question is: “Do you agree to the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?” 

Government Structure:  

• Chief of State: President Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV (since 20 March 2019) 

• Head of Government: Prime Minister Olzhas BEKTENOV (since 6 February 2024) 

• Assembly: bicameral Parliament with a 50-seat Senate (Сенаты) and a 98-seat Mazhilis (Мәжіліс) 

Electoral System:  

• The President is directly elected by plurality vote and may serve only one 7-year term.  

• The Prime Minister is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Mazhilis.  

• In the Senate, 40 members are indirectly elected by regional assemblies via two-round majority vote. An additional 10 members are appointed by the president, including 5 who are nominated by the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan (Қазақстан халқы ассамблеясы)—an advisory body consisting of ethnic minorities. All 50 members serve 6-year terms, and half of the seats are contested every 3 years.  

• In the Mazhilis, 98 members are directly elected by proportional representation vote, including 69 members from closed lists in a single, nationwide constituency and 29 members from single-seat constituencies. All 98 members serve 5-year terms. 

Last Election: 

On 5 June 2022, Kazakhstan held a constitutional referendum which passed with 77% of the vote. Voter turnout was 68%. 

Information for Voters: 

Ақпараттық материалдар / Informational materials (in Kazakh) 

Key Deadlines: 

• Voter registration deadline: 15 September 2024 

Population and Registered Voters: 

• Population: 19,900,177 (2023) 

• Registered Voters: 12,035,578 (2023) 

Gender Data: 

• CEDAW Status: Ratified (by accession) 26 August 1998 

• Gender Quota:  Yes, 30% of Mazhilis candidates on each party list must be women and/or under the age of 29 and/or people with disabilities 

• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 19 out of 98 (19%) in the Mazhilis and 12 out of 50 (24%) in the Senate 

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 0.802, Very High, Rank 67 (2022) 

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: 20.9 (2023)  

Disability Data: 

• CRPD Status: Signed 11 December 2008, Ratified 21 April 2015 

• Projected population with a disability: 3,184,028 (2023) 

IFES Resources: 

• Does IFES have a presence in Kazakhstan: No 

• Election Access: Yes 

• ElectionJudgments: No 

Original Referendum Question Text (in Kazakh): 

«Сіз Қазақстанда атом электр станциясын салуға келісесіз бе?»