(1) (Amended, SG No. 39/2016, effective 26.05.2016) The polling site shall be unsealed and the polls shall be declared open by the chairperson of the section election commission at 7:00 hours provided that more than one-half of the members of the commission are present. If a quorum is not present, the constituency election commission or municipal election commission shall be notified. Should more than one-half of the members of the commission presented themselves at 7:00 hours but the chairperson fails to present himself or herself, the polling site shall be unsealed and the polls shall be declared open by the deputy chairperson, and this circumstance shall be entered in the tally sheet of the section election commission.

(2) Should a sufficient number of members of the section election commission fail to present themselves within one hour, the constituency election commission or municipal election commission shall appoint the requisite number of members from amongst the alternate members in lieu of the absent members.

(3) Should the chairperson of the section election commission be absent, the constituency election commission or municipal election commission shall appoint the deputy chairperson and a member of the section election commission deputy chairperson. Should the deputy chairperson or the secretary of the section election commission be absent, the constituency election commission or municipal election commission shall appoint a member of the section election commission deputy chairperson or secretary.

(4) Should the chairperson, the deputy chairperson and the secretary of the section election commission be absent, the constituency election commission or municipal election commission shall appoint a chairperson, a deputy chairperson and a secretary from amongst the members and the alternate members.

(5) In the cases referred to in Paragraphs (3) and (4), the constituency election commission or the municipal election commission shall comply with the requirement of Article 61 (3) or, respectively, of Article 76 (3) herein.

(6) The Central Election Commission, acting on a proposal by the constituency election commission or municipal election commission, may allow voting in certain voting sections to begin at 5:00 hours.