41. In order to determine the compatibility of a certain system of remote or absent voting with the standards of the Council of Europe, we need to see in detail if the legislation guarantees measures to avoid fraud or intimidation and prevents family voting, if the conditions of the national postal service are safe and reliable (i.e. if it is protected from deliberate manipulation and it operates correctly), and if the secrecy of the vote is secured. These conclusions can be reached by analysing the guideline I.3.2. of the Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters, and the corresponding paragraph 38 of its explanatory report. Besides the need of an appropriate legislation, the compatibility will depend on the implementation of postal voting and the particular technical and social conditions of the country or area where it applies.
