DONETSK, September 8. /TASS/. Voter turnout for the parliamentary election in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) exceeded 59% after the first day of voting, chairman of the regional election commission Vladimir Vysotsky said on Friday.

Early voting in the elections for the republic’s parliament and municipal legislatures was held from August 31 to September 7. Mobile groups worked in those areas where stationary voting was impossible due to the hostilities. Apart from that, voting was organized for people registered in the DPR at 329 extraterritorial polling stations in 81 Russian regions from September 1 through 4. Voter turnout as a result of early voting was 45.43% for the republican parliament, and 45.7% for the Donetsk City Council.

"As for the preliminary turnout, it was 59.04% in the election for the DPR People’s Council (legislature - TASS) and 56.10% - for the Donetsk City Council.

Single voting day elections are being held throughout Russia on September 8-10. The Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions are taking part for the first time. The DPR and LPR are electing their parliaments, which will elect heads of these republics in line with their constitutions.