Prague, Nov 1 (CTK) – Czech prisons and custody facilities saw 35.7 percent voter turnout in the October 20-21 general election, compared with the country’s overall turnout of 60.8 percent, statistics of the Czech Prison Service have shown.
Apart from prisoners’ traditionally lower interest in the election, the figures also indicate almost double turnout among the inmates of detention facilities, which reached 66.2 percent.
Out of those remanded in custody, 37.24 percent cast their ballots and convicts in prisons came last with 35.5 percent.
Although the prisoners’ overall turnout was lower than in the previous general election, the number of 7,339 voting prisoners was in fact higher than in 2013, when a total of 5,425 prisoners cast their ballots.
Just like in 2013, the Prague-Ruzyne prison had the highest turnout, 62.74 percent. The prisons in Karvina, north Moravia, and Rapotice, south Moravia, were the two other facilities with turnout above 50 percent.
On the other hand, the prison in Olomouc, north Moravia, had the lowest voter turnout with only 13.72 percent of voting prisoners.
The female prison in Svetla nad Sazavou, central Bohemia, came slightly behind the country’s average with 33.99 percent.
Information on which parties prisoners voted for is not available, as the vote was anonymous, Petra Bacova of the Czech Statistical Office (CSU) told CTK.
The preferences in particular prisons can only be assessed based on the election results of a particular constituency.
