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Article 68
 

Opening of ballot boxes


1. The PEC chairperson shall check the seal integrity on a ballot box in the presence of PEC members and persons authorised to be present at a polling place.


2. If the seal integrity is lost but a PEC considers that this has not led to violation of the requirements of this Law, the procedure of summarising results shall be resumed under a PEC ordinance. Otherwise, a ballot box shall be sealed and the PEC ordinance and the sealed ballot box shall immediately be submitted to the higher DEC.


3. Counting officers shall move ballot boxes to a desk standing separately and take their places on opposite sides so as to maintain two meters distance between PEC members and persons authorised to be present at the polling station. Two supervisors and two representatives selected from among the observers shall stand next to counting officers.


4. A PEC shall first open mobile ballot boxes. Counting officers shall take special envelopes from the mobile ballot box and place them on the desk, check whether there is a control sheet in the mobile ballot box and compare it with the control sheet kept with the PEC for comparison. If any difference between the two control sheets is identified or if the control sheet is missing in the mobile ballot box, all special envelopes and ballot papers shall be bundled in one package and labelled ’invalid‘ and then submitted to the higher DEC after the polling and vote counting procedures are completed at the electoral precinct. After this procedure, counting officers shall open the main ballot box.


5. Counting officers shall take special envelopes and ballot papers from the main ballot box and place them on a separate desk, check whether there is a control sheet in the main ballot box and compare it with the control sheet kept by the PEC chairperson for comparison. If any difference between the two control sheets is identified or the control sheet is missing in the main ballot box, all special envelopes and ballot papers shall be bundled in one package and sealed. A respective protocol shall be drawn up and immediately submitted to the higher DEC. If violations do not occur, counting officers shall mix special envelopes from the main and mobile ballot boxes and start counting ballot papers.