The central criterion for cancelling elections, recognised by international standards and primarily by the Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters, is the question of whether irregularities may have affected the outcome of the vote. According to the ECtHR, irregularities in the electoral process only interfere with the free expression of the opinion of the people if the irregularities lead to a genuine prejudice to the outcome of the election. The consequences of the invalidation of the election results must be less harmful than the acceptance of the election results despite their deficiencies. In the view of the Venice Commission, the decision to invalidate elections must be based on irregularities that are so significant that they may have influenced the outcome of the election.