Increase in voter turnout expected in Turkey's Nov 1 snap elections

Turkey's voters are expected to head to polling stations on Nov. 1 in even greater numbers than the June 7 elections in a development that could be advantageous for all parties, according to survey companies.

Özer Sencar, the chairman of the pollster Metropoll, said they expected the turnout to be between 84 and 86 percent, while underlining that the choices of around 2 million university students would play a decisive role after Oct. 30, the day after Republic Day, which is an official holiday, was also declared an administrative holiday by the government. The selection of Nov. 1 as a poll day raised question marks as to whether some civil servants and university students living in cities other than their hometowns might plan to extend their one-day official Republic Day holiday to head home to vote.

Sencar also anticipated that some Kurdish voters living in eastern and southeastern Anatolia might not cast their votes either because they were forced to leave their hometowns due to the ongoing conflict between security forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or because of an environment of pressure.

According to the latest survey by Metropoll, 85.8 percent of voters are expected to cast ballots on Nov. 1. 

Tarhan Erdem, the founder of the KONDA research company, agreed that the voter turnout would increase in the critical election.

"All sides have been feeling ambitious, with both the ruling party and the opposition parties struggling to win. The share of votes by all parties will be preserved," Erdem said.

Bekir A??rd?r, general manager of KONDA, said they expected a 91 percent turnout, confirming that the increase in the turnout would have an equal impact on the share of parties.