Valid votes, void ballots and blank votes

1. Valid votes shall be considered those resulting from the total votes cast after subtracting the blank votes and void ballots.

2. The following are considered voidballots and will have no effect:

a) amended ballots, incomplete or with more or less candidates than the number of positions to fill, ballots which somehow indicate alterations or preferences in the order of the lists and, in general, all those that contravene the sense of the voting.

b) Two or more ballot papers, not identical, included inside the same envelope.

c) Ballots with something written added.

d) Stained ballots if, according to the criteria of the bureau, it is been done with the purpose of identifying the ballot.

e) Ballot papers other than those provided by the Government.

f) Ballots papers included in an envelope along with any other item.

g) Ballots that do not correspond with the envelope of the constituency.

h) Ballots entered into the ballot box without an envelope.

i) Envelopes placed into the ballot box without a ballot paper.

3. The following shall be considered valid votes:

a) Two or more identical ballots included in one envelope. In this case one vote shall be considered valid.

b) Stained ballots if, according to the criteria of the Bureau, the stain has not been made with the purpose of identifying the ballot.

c) A ballot that breaks when opening the envelope to make the counting. In this case it shall be considered that the ballot is complete.

4. Votes can not be declared void by other reasons than those prescribed by this Law.

5. Blank votes should be stated in the records in a different manner to void votes.

6. The valid and void votes that are the object of contestation by any member of the bureau or by a polling controller, shall be attached to the documentation, and their number shall be recorded.