According to Article 18.4, members of voting committees (which manage the voting process at the polling stations, ensure the regularity and secrecy of voting and determine the results of voting at polling stations) are appointed on the proposal of parliamentary or councillor groups that are represented in the respective Assembly. Proportional representation shall be provided in relation to the total number of seats of members of all voting committees in the territory for which a referendum is called and will therefore not be ensured in each electoral commission (Article 18.5-6). This can lead to a situation where the members of political parties in opposition could be concentrated in those voting committees where the number of voters is small or where the voters tend to support only government parties. Thus, political balance in the voting committees could not be achieved in all commissions or in the commissions where it counts the most, and the parliamentary majority would be in a position to control the appointment of the bodies responsible for the conduct of referendums. Moreover, it would be suitable to also require a gender-balanced composition of the electoral administration. The Venice Commission therefore recommends ensuring proportional representation in each voting committee, as well as the gender-balanced composition of the electoral administration.