Kazakhstan amended its laws "On Local Public Administration and Self-Government" and "On Elections" to eliminate direct elections for akims at the district and cities of regional significance level. Under the changes, district and cities of regional significance akims will be appointed by regional akims with the consent of the local maslikhat.

An akim serves as the head of a local government in Kazakhstan, with responsibilities similar to a mayor or governor. There are 39 cities of regional significance in the country, while Almaty, Astana, and Shymkent are designated cities of republican significance and operate independently. Village akims continue to be directly elected, and these elections are the only avenue for independent candidates in Kazakhstan. All other elective offices require affiliation with a registered political party.

Kazakhstan introduced the direct election of village akims in 2021. On July 25, 2021, 730 village akim elections were held. Approximately 85 percent of the winners in those elections were members of the ruling party Nur-Otan, though only 38 percent of candidates ran with a party affiliation. From 2013 to 2021, village akims were indirectly elected by local representative bodies. Before 2013, village akims were directly appointed by the president.

Pilot elections for district akims took place in September 2023 in three towns and 42 provincial districts. Candidates affiliated with the Amanat party won 37 of the 45 pilot races. In his 2024 State of the Nation address, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that district and city akims would be elected via direct voting. He said, "After thorough analysis of the election outcomes and the performance of the elected akims, we have decided to permanently shift to this new system." He also said, "Moving forward, district and city akims will be elected exclusively through direct elections as the current officials' terms end."

Tokayev later cited election fatigue as a factor in the reversal, stating, "There are too many elections in the country, and citizens are growing tired of political campaigns." He previously described the expansion of elections as "not only a sign of sufficient maturity of our political system, but also a serious step in the democratic development of our society." Under the revised procedure, akims appointed to districts and cities of regional significance can be removed by the regional akim or the president. Regional akims are appointed by the president.