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Article 437
 

(1) Upon ascertainment of the voting results, one ballot shall correspond to one vote, which may be either valid or invalid.


(2) A vote shall be valid where:


1. the ballot conforms to the established standard design for the respective constituency;
2. any special symbols, such as letters, numbers or other signs, are not written on the ballot;
3. the ballot contains two impressions of the seal of the competent section election commission;
4. only one of the voting squares for a party, coalition or independent committee is marked with an aXa or a aVa, placed by means of a ballpoint pen writing in blue ink, for one candidate list, which expresses unequivocally the vote of the voter; the vote shall be valid for the candidate list even if no preference is marked for a candidate on the list of the party or coalition for which the vote is cast;
5. only one of the voting squares for a party or coalition on the ballot for municipal councillors is marked with an aXa or a aVa, placed by means of a ballpoint pen writing in blue ink, even though more than one preference is marked with an aXa or a aVa, placed by means of a ballpoint pen writing in blue ink: it shall be assumed that the ballot does not contain any preference and the vote shall be treated as cast only for the chosen candidate list;
6. only one of the voting squares for a party or coalition on the ballot of municipal councillors is marked with an aXa or a aVa, placed by means of a ballpoint pen writing in blue ink, for one candidate list, and only one preference is marked with an aXa or a aVa, placed by means of a ballpoint pen writing in blue ink;
7. the aXa or aVa placed by the voter by means of a ballpoint pen writing in blue ink leaves the square of the relevant candidate list but does not run into the square of another list;
8. there are deviations in the ballot due to defects and manufacturing errors, or where the ballot is mechanically damaged or stained;
9. (new, SG No. 39/2016, effective 26.05.2016) the aNone Of The Abovea square in the ballot is marked with an aXa or a aVa, placed by means of a ballpoint pen writing in blue ink.


(3) A vote shall be invalid where:


1. the ballot does not conform to the established standard design for the respective constituency;
2. any special symbols, such as letters, numbers or other signs, are written on the ballot;
3. the ballot does not contain two impressions of the seal of the competent section election commission;
4. the vote of the voter is not marked on the ballot with an aXa or a aVa and by means of a ballpoint pen writing in blue ink;
5. the vote of the voter is not marked on the ballot;
6. a vote is marked on the ballot with an aXa or a aVa or with another sign, placed by means of a ballpoint pen writing in blue ink, for two or more candidate lists, or an aXa or a aVa is placed which runs into more than one voting square and it is impossible to determine unequivocally the choice of the voter;
7. preferences are marked on the ballot for municipal councillors with a sign other than an aXa or a aVa and by means of a ballpoint pen not writing in blue ink.


(4) (Amended, SG No. 35/2014, effective 22.04.2014) The voter shall be entitled to one preference for a candidate for municipal councillor on the candidate list of a party or coalition of his or her choice. The preference shall count only where marked with an aXa or a aVa placed by means of a ballpoint pen writing in blue ink, as well as where the aXa or the aVa in the circle with the number whereby the candidate has been registered leaves the contour of the said circle without running into the other circles.


(5) Where the voter has not marked a preference for a candidate on the candidate list of his or her choice, a preference for the candidate ranked first on the list shall count.


(6) The number of voters who voted by paper ballots shall equal the number of ballots found in the ballot boxes.