General Requirements to Ballot Papers in Local Elections

1. The form and color of the ballot papers for voting in each local election shall be approved by the Central Election Commission no later than thirty days prior to the day of voting in the local election and may not be changed until the beginning of the election process of the next regular election.

2. The text of the ballot papers for voting in the respective election districts shall be approved by the respective territorial election commissions no later than seventeen days prior to the day of voting. The security features of a ballot paper shall be established by the respective territorial election commission within the same time period.

3. The text of a ballot paper shall be printed in the official language and shall be placed on one sheet and on one side only.

4. A ballot paper must contain the name and the date of the local election, or, in the event of repeat voting, the indication “repeat voting” and the date of holding thereof; an indication of the election district; the number of the election district (if available), as well as places designated for the number of the electoral precinct and for the precinct election commission’s seal. If the technical capability is confirmed by the respective printing enterprise, the territorial election commission may adopt a decision to produce ballot papers with an indication of numbers of election precincts.

5. A ballot paper shall contain an explanation of the procedure for filling out the ballot paper by a voter during the voting.

6. A ballot paper shall have a counterfoil, separated by a tear-off line. The counterfoil shall contain the name and the date of the local election, or, in the event of repeat voting, indication “repeat voting,” indication of the election district; the number of the election district (if available), as well as places designated for the number of the election precinct, the number under which a voter was entered in the voter list for the election precinct, the signature of the voter receiving the ballot paper, and signature of the precinct election commission member issuing the ballot paper.

The counterfoil of ballot papers that are produced with an indication of election precinct numbers shall contain the number of the election precinct.

7. The territorial and precinct election commissions shall keep a precise record of ballot papers received and delivered in accordance with this Code.

8. The ballot papers shall, as a rule, be printed for each election precinct of each election district in an amount exceeding by 0.5 percent the number of voters included in the voter lists for the respective election precinct, with possible deviation from the aforementioned number resulting from the multiplicity of ballot papers being printed on a typing sheet.

The number of voters included in the voter lists at election precincts within the respective election district shall be determined on the basis of information on the number of voters included in previous voter lists at election precincts received by the relevant territorial election commissions from the State Voter Register maintenance bodies after they have compiled such voter lists.

9. If the Central Election Commission decides to conduct an experiment or pilot project using innovative technologies in accordance with part one of Article

18 of this Code, the Central Election Commission shall organize the development of experimental ballots for such experiment or pilot project simultaneously with the actions provided for in Articles 241, 242. Code.

An experimental ballot paper developed in accordance with the first paragraph of this part shall:

1) differ in form and color from the ballot paper, the form of which is approved by the Central Election Commission in accordance with part one of this article;

2) in the upper part contain in capital letters the inscription: "EXPERIMENT" or "PILOT PROJECT";

3) under the information specified in paragraph 2 of this part, contain the text of the following content:

"The completion of this ballot paper by a voter does not certify his / her expression of will, does not create legal consequences, cannot be used to establish the results or results of elections, as well as to appeal against decisions, actions or omissions of election participants."