Early voting at elections and referendum

The voter or the participant in the referendum who has no opportunity to be present on the day of elections or referendum at the place of his residence is entitled, not earlier than five days before the elections or the referendum and in conditions excluding control over the expression of his will, to fill in the ballot in the room of the precinct commission and cast it to the sealed separate ballot box for voting of voters and participants in the referendum who will be absent on the day of the holding of elections or referendum at the place of their residence.Official confirmation of causes disabling the voter or the participant in the referendum to come to the voting premises on the day of elections or referendum is not required.

Early voting is carried out from 10 a.m. till 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. till 7 p.m. in presence of not less than two members of the precinct commission.

On the first day of early voting the ballot boxes are sealed in the order determined by part three of Article 51 of this Code.

In the period of early voting daily after termination of voting, the chairperson or a deputy chairperson of the precinct commission glues the split for putting in the ballots in the ballot box with a sheet of paper.The chairperson or a deputy chairperson and a member of the district commission shall put signatures on this sheet.Opening of this split for putting in ballots in the ballot box shall be done daily before the beginning of early voting by the chairperson or a deputy chairperson of the precinct commission.When the split for putting in ballots in the ballot box is glued and opened, the observers, foreign (international) observers, representatives of mass media are entitled to be present.Keeping of the ballot-box is ensured by the chairperson of the precinct commission.

In the period of early voting, daily, the chairperson and a deputy chairperson of the precinct commission composes a protocol where the number of ballots received by the precinct commission, the number of citizens who received the ballots for voting (on the last day of early voting – the total number of citizens who have received ballots for voting), the number of spoiled ballots and the number of the ballots not used shall be indicated.The protocol is signed by the chairperson or a deputy chairperson and a member of the commission.A copy of the protocol is put up for general familiarization in the premises of the precinct commission.

When receiving the ballot the voter puts a signature with his own hand in the list of citizens having the right to participate in the elections and indicates the date of early voting.

Early voting is held with observance of the requirements of this Code.

Early voting is not held in the voting precincts formed in sanatoriums, preventoriums, rest houses, clinics and other healthcare organizations providing in-patient medical assistance, as well as before the second round of voting on the elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus.