Council of Europe - Venice Commission

REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA – Electoral Code

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Article 143

Completion of ballot papers

1. When completing a ballot paper(s), voters shall: 1) mark the candidate or the list of candidates for whom/which they are voting; 2) be entitled to express their will regarding the candidates entered on the list of candidates by entering the candidate numbers of five chosen candidates from the list of candidates in the boxes designated for indicating preference votes.

2. If there are more than five candidates on the list of candidates for which the voter votes, the voter may fill in all five boxes; if there are five candidates on the list of candidates, the voter shall fill in not more than four boxes; if there are four candidates on the list of candidates, the voter shall fill in not more than three boxes; if there are three candidates on the list of candidates, the voter shall fill in not more than two boxes; and if there are two candidates on the list of candidates, the voter shall fill in not more than one box.

3. The boxes designated for preference votes shall have the same right of preference for candidates irrespective of the number of the box.

4. Conditions must be created for voters with disabilities to make use of ancillary means and technologies when voting. If voters cannot carry out the steps referred to in this Article independently due to disability, their ballot papers shall be filled in by a person of their choice at their request. This person must fill in the ballot papers in the voters’ presence under their instructions, preserve the secrecy of voting and put the ballot papers into the ballot box in the voters’ presence.

5. Committee members, election observers and election representatives shall be prohibited to carry out any voting-related actions for voters with disabilities.

6. If voters spoil the ballot papers and return them to the members of the polling district electoral committee assigned to issue ballot papers to voters, the spoilt ballot papers may be replaced by new ballot papers. 7. Voters shall finish voting by placing the ballot-papers into the ballot-box.