Establishing polling stations and Precinct Electoral Bureaus

(1) To conduct voting and vote counting, the Electoral Districts are divided into polling stations.

(2) The polling stations shall be established in localities by the District Electoral Councils, based on the proposals made by the Mayors of towns (municipalities) and villages (communes), at least 35 days before the Elections Days, and shall have a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 3000 voters. At the proposal of the Mayors of towns (municipalities) and villages (communes), the ceiling of 3000 voters may be exceeded with up to 10 %. For elections of all level and for Republican Referendum, polling stations shall be established within the same period. The premises of the polling stations are established, as a general rule, on the ground floor of the public owned buildings and are endowed in such a way as to facilitate the access of elderly and disabled people.

(3) Special polling stations may be established in hospitals, health resorts, maternity hospitals, asylums and camps for elderly people. Those polling stations must include at least 30 voters.

(4) Military personnel shall vote at the polling station from the locality where the military units are located.

(5) In the event of new local, partial elections, local referendum, when no second-level District Electoral Council is established, the polling stations and the Precinct Electoral Bureaus shall be established by the first-level District Electoral Council.

(6) The District Electoral Council shall number the polling stations from the district and shall make public the information on the boarders of each polling station, the address of the Precinct Electoral Bureaus, the address of the voting place and the contact details.

(7) Polling stations shall be numbered in alphabetical order starting with the locality where the District Electoral Council is located, continuing with those from municipalities, towns, communes and villages.

(8) The local public administration authorities shall provide the Precinct Electoral Bureaus with information and support, necessary for the performance of their duties as provided for in this Code.

(9) Precinct Electoral Bureaus shall be established by the District Electoral Councils at least 25 days before the Elections Days, starting from an odd number of members, of at least 5 persons and a maximum of 11 persons.

(10) The members of the Precinct Electoral Bureau shall be appointed as follows: a) 3 members are appointed by the local council; b) one shall be appointed by each political party represented in the Parliament.

(11) If political parties do not submit their candidatures within the Precinct Electoral Bureau no later than 5 days before the expiry of the deadline for establishment of the Precinct Electoral Bureau, the required number of members shall be completed by the local council. If the later do not submit their candidates, as well as if after the nomination of the candidates by all the subjects entitled to do it, the number is insufficient, or the Precinct Electoral Bureau consist of an even number, the remaining seats shall be filled by the District Electoral Council, on the proposal of Central Electoral Commission, from the persons entered into the Register of Electoral Officials.

(12) In respect of the duties of a member of the electoral Precinct Electoral Bureau, only persons who have attended courses in the Centre for Continuous Electoral Training and have duly valid educational certificates at the date of confirmation. Where possible, persons with higher legal studies or in the field of public administration shall be composed of Precinct Electoral Bureaus.

(13) Within two days following the establishment of the Precinct Electoral Bureau, its members shall in elect the Chairperson and the Secretary of the Precinct Electoral Bureau, immediately communicating the results of those elections to the District Electoral Council and make public the information on the composition of the Precinct Electoral Bureau, the premises and the contact details.

(14) The Precinct Electoral Bureau shall adopt decisions with the absolute majority vote of the members.

(15) The Peculiarities of the Precinct Electoral Bureau’s organisation and functioning are laid down in the Regulation of its activity, approved by decision of the Central Electoral Commission.

(16) For the purposes of ensuring the electoral right, the Central Electoral Commission may establish polling stations and Precinct Electoral Bureaus in other cases as well.