The young democracy of Mongolia begins voting for an expanded 126-seat parliament

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — Voters in the youthful democracy of Mongolia are electing a new parliament on Friday in the landlocked Asian democracy that is squeezed between China and Russia, two much larger authoritarian states.

At stake are 126 seats in an expanded parliament, 50 more than in the previous election in 2020. That contest was won by the Mongolian People’s Party in a landslide. The ruling party still appears to hold the upper hand, but other parties may be able to capitalize on voter discontent to eat into its majority.

About two dozen voters lined up on a staircase heading down to a polling station in the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, some muttering complaints because it opened 10 minutes late. Some of the older voters, including community leaders, dressed up in formal silk robes sinched with large leather belts for the occasion.

Inside, voters sat to fill out their ballot and then put it into an electronic vote counting machine. An indelible mark was put on one of their fingers to prevent them from trying to vote again.

Many in the district, a “ger” area where people originally settled in nomadic tents, are supporters of the ruling Mongolian People’s Party. But some younger voters expressed disappointment with the People’s Party, and said they chose younger candidates that they hoped would bring change.

There are 2,198 polling stations spread out across the sparsely populated country, which is large geographically but has a population of only 3.4 million people. The voting stations close at 10 p.m. with preliminary results expected early Saturday morning.

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