Chart 28. VOTE COUNT AND COMPILATION OF PROTOCOL OF VOTING RETURNS
VOTE COUNT
Principles
Timeframe
Procedure
Completion
counted openly and publicly by
voting members of precinct election commission with announcement and respective indication in
the enlarged protocol of voting
returns (Art 68 Para 1)
begins immediately after the voting time expires and shall be carried out without a break until the
voting returns are determined, the
said voting returns to be made
known to all members of the precinct election commission as well
as observers (Art 68 Para 2)
 manual count
 using automated ballot counting
equipment
 using electronic voting
Concluding meeting of Precinct
Election Commission:
 Review of complaints (applications) of violations during voting
and vote count
 Signing of protocol of voting
returns of Precinct Election
Commission (Art 68 Para 26)
Protocol of Voting Returns of Precinct Election Commission
must be composed on a single
page (in exceptional cases more
than one page; all pages must be
then numbered, signed and certified by seal) (Art 67 Para 2)
filled out in two copies and
signed by all voting members of
PEC present; indicating time and
date (hour and minute) of its
compilation (Art 68 Para 26)
first copy of the protocol with attached documents (separate opinions of PEC
members, complaints (applications) on breaching of the law, PEC decisions
passed on them and PEC registers) is sent immediately to upper level election commission and is not to be returned to PEC (Art 68 Para 30)
Voting members of PEC not consenting to the contents of the protocol during its signature are entitled to attach a separate opinion,
which will be indicated in the
protocol (Art 68 Para 28)
issuance of a copy of the protocol
to persons entitled is noted by
PEC in a special register; receiver
of a copy signs respective register
(Art 68 Para 29)
second copy of the protocol is provided for review of observers and other
persons indicated in Art 30 Para 3 of this law and then is transferred to higher election commission for record with other election documents and PEC
seal (Art 68 Para 31)
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Table 4. PROCEDURE OF MANUAL VOTE COUNT
Order of Action (Art
68)
Who is Entitled
I. Working with Unused Ballots
1.
2.
3.
Counting and canceling unused ballots
Announcement and introduction in protocol of vote returns and its enlarged copy of the number of unused ballots and ballots
spoiled by voters
Revision, announcement and entering of number of ballots received by PEC in the protocol of vote returns and its enlarged
copy (data of ballots from envelopes of early voters in DEC, TEC, EC of municipal unit are not included)
PEC voting members
PEC voting members
Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson or Secretary of PEC
II. Working with Voter List
1.
Inclusion of following summarized data on each page of voters list:
a) number of voters included in the list of voters as of end of voting (not counting voters who had received absentee voting certificates in TEC and PEC, and those voters who had left for other reasons)
b) number of ballots issued to voters at premises for voting on election day (established by number of corresponding signatures in voters list);
c) number of ballots issued to voters who had voted earlier (established by number of corresponding marks in voters list
and verified with the list of those who voted earlier);
d) number of absentee voting certificates issued by PEC to voters at precinct;
e) number of voters who voted with absentee voting certificates at precinct.
PEC voting members
2.
Signing each page of voters list
3.
Summing up of data, its announcement and informing Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson or Secretary of PEC
4.
5.
Resulting data (defined as total of above mentioned actions) is announced, entered on the last page of voters list, confirmed by
signature and seal of PEC
Introduction of announced totals in the protocol of voting returns and its enlarged form
6.
Review voters list
PEC voting members who are entering
data
PEC voting members who are entering
data
Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson or Secretary of PEC
Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson or Secretary of PEC
Observers, foreign (international observers), members of higher election commissions and their staff, registered candidate
or authorized representative, or authorized representative of election association
which has a list of candidates registered
by relevant election commission, candidate from such a list, media representatives.
3
7.
8.
Verification of correctness of count
Terminate working with voter list before beginning verification of control figures of data entered in protocol of vote returns
(voters list is transferred to a safe box or specially designed place for storage of documents)
PEC non-voting members
Chairperson or Secretary of PEC
III. Direct Vote Count
Working with mobile ballot boxes
1.
Verification of integrity of seals on mobile boxes
PEC voting members
2.
Opening of mobile boxes
PEC voting members
3.
Counting the ballots of approved format
PEC voting members
4.
Announcement and introduction in protocol of vote returns and its enlarged copy of the number of ballots of approved format in PEC voting members
ballot boxes
5.
Should the number of ballots of established format found in a mobile ballot box exceed the number of voter applications with PEC voting members
marks of ballots received all ballots in such mobile box shall be recognized invalid; a corresponding statement shall be filled,
number of such ballots announced, and later summed up with invalid ballots found during sorting out.
Working with stationary ballot boxes
1.
Verification of integrity of seals on stationary boxes
PEC voting members
2.
Opening of stationary boxes
PEC voting members
Sorting out ballots removed from mobile and stationary boxes
Sorting out of ballots (by vote cast for each candidate (list of candidates), against all candidates (lists of candidates), by ballots PEC voting members
of unapproved format and invalid ballots), with announcement of mark contained in each of them and allowing visual control of
all persons present during vote count
Sorting out of ballots cast for each candidate is not applied if elections are administered in multi-mandate districts and each PEC voting members
voter may have more than one vote; announcement of all marks of voter allowing visual control of all persons present during
vote count; entering all data contained in ballots in special table, summing of data
Solving the issue of validity of all invalid ballots
1.
Should doubt remain in defining of voter’s will the question of validity of ballot is decided by vote
PEC voting members
2.
The reasons for recognition of validity or invalidation of doubtful ballots are indicated on the back of it; certified by two or PEC voting members
more voting members of PEC and seal of PEC
3.
Ballot recognized valid or invalid is moved to corresponding stack of ballots
PEC voting members
4.
The total number of all invalid ballots is announced and introduced in protocol of vote returns and its enlarged copy
PEC voting members
Counting all ballots of established format sorted out in stacks by each candidate, list of candidates, “Against all candidates” and “Against all lists of candidates”
1.
Moving ballots one by one from one stack to other so that persons witnessing the count could see the mark put by voter in each PEC voting members
ballot (Simultaneous vote count from different stacks is not allowed)
2.
Resulting data is entered in the protocol of vote returns and its enlarged copy
PEC voting members
Counting and entering of number of valid ballots in the protocol of vote returns and its enlarged copy
Counting, announcing and entering of number of ballots of established format from stationary ballot boxes in the protocol of vote returns and its enlarged copy
IV. CONCLUDING ACTIVITIES
1.
Visual inspection of sorted out ballots under control of voting members of PEC
Observers
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2.
3.
4.
Verification of correctness of count
Verification of control sums of data entered in the protocol of vote returns
Packing of sorted out ballots in separate stacks and then in bags or boxes; sealing of bags
PEC non-voting members
PEC non-voting members
PEC non-voting members