Order and orderly voting

(amended by Law No. 74/2012, dated 19 July 2012, points 6 and 7 added by Law No. 101/2020, dated 23 July 2020)

1. The voting centre shall be arranged in a way that it facilitates the voting process and guarantees the secrecy of vote. The voting centres shall be arranged according to a standard design specified by a CEC instruction.

2. The use of mobile telephones at the voting centre shall be prohibited and voters shall not be allowed to vote holding a mobile phone in their hands. If a voter attempts to use a mobile phone or any other recording devices in the voting booth, the procedure laid down in point 1 of Article 107 shall be applied.

3. When order or orderly voting are endangered at the voting centre, the VCC informs the State Police and the CEAZ, and fills in the voting suspension record form for that reason. The time of the notification and suspension shall be noted down on the official records. The VCC shall also note in the Meetings Records Book the incident, the time the voting was suspended, and the time voting resumed.

4. The Chair or any member of the VCC shall immediately notify the CEAZ of the incident. The CEAZ shall be obliged to record the notification and the time it was received on the Meeting Records Book. The CEAZ shall forward the request immediately to the State Police.

5. Once order is restored in the voting centre, the VCC shall request the State Police to leave the voting centre and shall take measures to immediately resume voting. This fact shall be reflected in the official records for resuming the voting.

6. The presence or assembly of people shall not be allowed in the premises outside the voting centre, at the building’s yard, entrance, and internal corridors, except for the voters waiting in line to vote. By derogation to this rule, observers and authorized media representatives shall be allowed to be present, as well as persons tasked with conducting election polls, when the organization they represent is authorized for this purpose by the CEC. Interviewing of voters for purposes of polls shall take place outside the surrounding of the building, at interviewing spots with clear distinguishing and explanatory signs displayed, and without hampering in any way or reason the free access and entry-exit of voters in/from the voting centre.

7. The presence of other persons not prescribed in this Article at the premises where electoral administration is carried out, or in their sorroundings, shall be a reason for suspending the process and requesting the intervention of the State Police to restore the order. The intervention of the State Police shall be done according to the procedures approved by the CEC and shall be documented in details by the election administration.