Polls close in Georgia’s election that could take it toward the EU or into Russia’s orbit

People get their ballots at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 26 October 2024. AP - Zurab Tsertsvadze

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) – Polls closed in Georgia Saturday after an election many citizens saw as a make-or-break vote on the opportunity to join the European Union.

The pre-election campaign in the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million people which borders Russia was dominated by foreign policy and marked by a bitter fight for votes and allegations of a smear campaign.