1. The CEAZ assigns one or more receiving teams to receive the ballot box/es with the ballot papers and the box/es with voting materials. The receiving teams consist of two CEAZ members with different political affiliations, proposed respectively by the Chair and Deputy Chair of the CEAZ.
If deemed necessary, the CEAZ may appoint 2 persons for each team to assist the team for receiving the boxes, and who mainly deal with the arrangement of the boxes under the direction of the CEAZ. The support personnel are selected from the list of the members of the Counting Teams, while guaranteeing, in any case, the political balance between the majority and the opposition. The ballot box/es with the ballot papers and the box/es with voting materials are received as soon as they arrive at the Ballot Counting Centre, according to rules established by the CEC.

2. During the receiving process, the receiving teams:

a) record in the Records of Receipt the numbers of the security codes of the seals, with which the ballot box with the ballot papers and the box with voting materials has been closed;
b) verify immediately whether the numbers of the security codes of the seals with which the ballot box with the ballot papers and the box of voting materials are closed match the numbers of the security codes, according to the records kept for this voting centre, in compliance with article 113 of this Code. If these codes do not match, the receiving team informs the CEAZ about the discrepancy and requests it to mark the box as an “IRREGULAR BOX”. The CEAZ verifies the discrepancy immediately and makes a decision, in accordance with point 4 of this article. The discrepancies found are recorded in the Records of Receipt and the CEAZ Meeting Records Book.

3. When, while receiving the ballot boxes with the ballot papers and the box with the voting materials, the receiving team finds that:

a) one or more seals with security codes are missing or broken;
b) the seals with the security codes have been placed in a way that allows space between the box itself and its lid;
c) the box has fissures or cracks in its body or lid that make it possible to insert or retrieve ballot papers or other voting materials; or
ç) the box is of a different type, shape or size from those established by the CEC; then the receiving team immediately informs the CEAZ about the irregularity and requests it to mark the box as an “IRREGULAR BOX”. The CEAZ immediately verifies the irregularity and makes a decision, according to point 4 of this article. The irregularity found is recorded in the Records of Receipt and the CEAZ Meeting Records Book.

4. In cases when receiving teams find irregularities in one of the boxes with ballot papers, in accordance with points 2 and 3 of this article, while receiving the boxes with ballot papers for a voting centre, then that box is considered an “IRREGULAR BOX” and is sent to the corner of irregular boxes, whereas the box with voting materials, and in the case of local elections, the other box with ballot papers, are subject to procedures in accordance with articles 116 to 119 of this Code. If, in the case of local elections, both boxes with ballot papers are considered irregular, then both boxes with ballot papers and the respective box of voting materials are placed in the corner of irregular boxes. When only the box of voting materials is defined as an “IRREGULAR BOX”, it is subject to the opening and counting procedures along with the ballot boxes with the ballot papers.

5. The ballot boxes defined as an “IRREGULAR BOX” shall not be opened at any time and for any reason by the CEAZ and shall not be forwarded to the Counting Team. They are sent together with the box of voting materials to the CEC for administrative investigation purposes, in accordance with article 136 and point 4 of article 138 of this Code.

6. The CEAZ keeps a Record of Findings, in which it notes data about the ballot boxes with ballot papers or boxes with voting materials declared as irregular, in accordance with points 2, 3 and 4 of this article, as well as data on the inaccuracies and irregularities found during the application of the procedures of article 116 of this Code. Copies of the Record of Findings are given to the CEAZ members and to observers of parliamentary parties.

7. The members of the receiving team, the Chair, Deputy Chair and secretary of the VCC, as well as the police officer assigned with the duty of accompanying, sign the Records of Receipt. The original Records of Receipt is administered by the CEAZ, which gives a copy respectively to the Chair, Deputy Chair of the VCC and to the police officer assigned with the duty of accompanying. The police officer shall leave immediately after receiving a copy of the Records of Receipt, which is delivered together with the service report to his/her respective command structure.

8. The Records of Receipt is prepared by the CEC as a template and shall contain the time of receipt, the number of the voting centre, the seals with the security codes with which the boxes with the ballot papers and boxes of voting materials are sealed, the space for describing discrepancies or irregularities found, as well as the space for signatures.

9. The ballot boxes with the ballot papers and the boxes of voting materials, received by the receiving teams, are placed in the place designated in advance for that purpose by the CEAZ. This place shall be in the same premises where the count of ballots takes place and shall be secured from any interference by unauthorised persons.

10. The ballot boxes with the ballot papers received as regular shall, in any case, be subject to procedures for opening and counting at the Ballot Counting Centres in accordance with the provisions of this Code. Refusal to count leads to immediate discharge of persons responsible for counting or, as the case may be, of the CEAZ. Refusal to count a box received as regular constitutes a criminal offence and is punishable according to article 330/a of the Criminal Code.