The voting process has begun at the expanded assembly currently underway at the Holy Trinity Patriarchal Cathedral (Sameba Cathedral), where the 142nd Patriarch of Georgia is being elected.

Before the start of voting, the ballot box was officially sealed.

The candidates have already presented their programs at the expanded assembly, and delegates have also delivered speeches.

As for the voting procedure itself, the ballot papers include the names of the three Patriarchal candidates:

• Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne and Metropolitan of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, Shio (Mujiri);
• Metropolitan Iobi of the Urbnisi and Ruisi Diocese;
• Metropolitan Grigoli of Poti and Khobi.

After marking their choice, delegates place the ballot into an envelope and then into the ballot box, which is positioned in the center of the hall.

According to the Church governance regulations, in order for the Patriarch to be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive 50% plus one vote. In this case, that threshold is 20 votes. Therefore, if any candidate receives 20 votes, no second round will be held. If none of the candidates reaches 20 votes, a second round will take place between the two candidates who receive the highest number of votes.

The results will be announced later today by Metropolitan Anania Japaridze, the senior bishop by ordination and chair of the vote-counting commission.

The date of the enthronement ceremony will also be announced today, with the decision to be made by the newly elected Patriarch chosen by the assembly.

As a reminder, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, passed away on March 17, 2026, at the age of 93, after which the issue of electing a new head of the Georgian Orthodox Church was placed on the agenda.