1.The Central Electoral Commission is an independent state authority which shall organise the elections of the National Assembly and local self-government bodies, referenda, as well as exercise supervision over the lawfulness thereof. 

2.The Central Electoral Commission shall: 

(1)exercise supervision over using state budget funds allocated for preparing and holding elections; 

(2)adopt the rules of procedure thereof and the rules of procedure of lower electoral commissions; 

(3)organise and conduct the professional courses for holding elections, establish the procedure for organising professional courses and issuing qualification certificates; 

(4)exercise supervision over the uniform application of this Code; 

(5)prescribe the forms and samples of ballot papers, ballot envelopes, protocols and other election related documents, the procedure for filling in and keeping thereof, provide the electoral commissions with necessary election related documents; 

(6)prescribe the standard forms of documents necessary for registration of candidates, electoral lists of political parties running in elections; 

(7)adopt decisions — within the scope of powers thereof — that are binding throughout the Republic; 

(8)abolish, declare as repealed, invalid, or revoke the decisions of electoral commissions, which are in conflict with this Code, except for the decisions of constituency electoral commissions on being elected as members of the councils of elders of communities in which elections are held through the proportional electoral system (except for Yerevan), on being elected as head of community or members of the Council of Elders; 

(9)hear the communications of electoral commissions and state authorities on preparing and holding elections; 

(10)accredit mass media representatives, the observers; 

(11)register the elected Deputies of the National Assembly, the elected members of the Council of Elders of Yerevan, issue a relevant certificate forthem; 

(12)call new elections of the Council of Elders of Yerevan; 

(13)adopt decisions provided for by this Code, provide clarifications concerning each issue related to the electoral processes in cases where the relevant function is not reserved to other responsible authorities, as well as adopt decisions which are not in conflict with this Code, with the view of regulation of electoral processes; 

(14)develop and publish training materials for the members of electoral commissions, specialists, candidates, proxies, observers and electors; 

(15)prescribe the procedure for drawing of lots at the electoral commissions; 

(16)approve the sample ballot box and the technical specifications; 

(17)raise public awareness about elections; 

(18)register the electoral lists of political parties running in elections of the National Assembly and the Council of Elders of Yerevan, issue a certificate in the form established by the Central Electoral Commission for the candidates included in the lists; 

(19)may establish institutions as prescribed bylaw; 

(20)give binding instructions ensuring the implementation of this Code; 

(21)revoke the qualification certificate for being included in an electoral commission, where the person having received the relevant certificate has violated the requirements of this Code; 

(22)prescribe the procedure for the service and operation of the technical equipment, as well as for the usage and maintenance of memories of that equipment; 

(23)prescribe types of identification documents of electors not holding citizenship, which may be used during elections of local self-government bodies; 

(24)prescribe types of identification documents of electors who are in a penitentiary institution; 

(24.1)register the initiating group for holding referenda and terminate registration of the initiating group; 

(24.2)establish the forms of sheets for collecting signatures for the purpose of holding referenda and the procedure for filling in the sheets; 

(24.3)establish the form of the announcement — issued through a notarial procedure — for joining the collection of signatures on the spot; 

(24.4)establish the procedure for approval of the validity of the signatures for the purpose of holding referenda; 

(24.5)establish the procedure for providing halls and other constructions to the parties to campaigning for referenda; 

(24.6)establish the procedure for providing free and paid airtime through the mass media to the parties to campaigning for referenda, the number of hours and timetable of airtime; 

(24.7)approve the validity of signatures collected for the purpose of holding referenda; 

(25)perform other powers provided for by this Code. 

3.The Chairperson of the Central Electoral Commission or any member of the Central Electoral Commission, upon his or her assignment, shall submit a communication in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the Law of the Republic of Armenia “Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly” on activities thereof.  

This communication shall be posted on the website of the Central Electoral Commission. 

4.The Central Electoral Commission may apply to the Government of the Republic of Armenia, to the National Assembly proposing legislative amendments aimed at the improvement of the election process. 

5.The Central Electoral Commission may adopt a decision on organising and holding, as a pilot project, voting for the elections of local self-government bodies in separate communities with technical equipment. While implementing a pilot project, depending on technical equipment or technological features, the Central Electoral Commission shall be entitled to define a new procedure for organising and holding the voting at elections of local self-government bodies, as well as for summarising the results. 

6.The pilot project, provided for by part 5 of this Article, may be implemented in communities with no more than 2000 electors, and no more than in ten communities annually.