Newsroom
Ballot counting procedures for 28 October elections in Kosovo
PRISTINA 20 October 2000
PRISTINA, 20 October 2000 - In any democratic election, ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of the ballot-counting process is as important as providing people with the opportunity to vote. To this end, the Central Election Commission adopted Electoral Rule No. 2000/14 on The Count Process.
Responsibility for the count process lies with the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the Municipal Election Commissions in each municipality. The counting of ballots, which will begin immediately after polls close on 28 October, is to take place both within individual Polling Stations throughout Kosovo and at the Counting Centre in Pristina.
Voters, depending on particular individual circumstances, have been provided with a number of potential options:
Following the close of Polling Stations, an accounting procedure will begin, under the direction of the Polling Station Chairperson and the OSCE International Supervisor, to count and package spoiled and unused ballots and to reconcile the number of ballots issued to voters with signatures on the Final Voters List. Only once this procedure has been completed will the ballot boxes be opened.
The process of counting votes will proceed in three stages:
The Counting Centre in Pristina will count the absentee, conditional, special needs and Out-of-Kosovo ballots. It will also act as the central location where all ballots and election material from Polling Stations will be delivered to once the counting process at Polling Stations has been completed. The process of counting votes cast by absentee, conditional, special needs and Out-of-Kosovo ballots for political entities and individual candidates will proceed in the same manner as at Polling Stations.
The final results of the municipal elections are obtained by combining the results of regular valid ballots cast with the valid conditional, special needs and Out-of-Kosovo ballots cast. If there are complaints regarding the counting process at Polling Stations or the Counting Centre they can be submitted to the Election Appeals and Complaints sub-Commission no later than 48 hours after the alleged violation. The Central Elections Commission shall recommend certification to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, who is responsible for certifying the election results once all complaints are addressed.
As a further means to guarantee the integrity and transparency of the counting process, accredited observers and the media are entitled to be present throughout the counting process, both at individual Polling Stations and the Counting Centre in Pristina.
For further information, contact Roland Bless, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: (+381-38) 500-162 or satphone: 871-762-009-948, ext. 260 / mobile: (+389-70) 250-576 / e-mail: press@omik.org or website: //www.osce.org/kosovo
Responsibility for the count process lies with the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the Municipal Election Commissions in each municipality. The counting of ballots, which will begin immediately after polls close on 28 October, is to take place both within individual Polling Stations throughout Kosovo and at the Counting Centre in Pristina.
Voters, depending on particular individual circumstances, have been provided with a number of potential options:
- Regular voters - These are ballots cast by individuals who currently reside in the municipality in which they are registered to vote. Regular ballots are counted at Polling Stations where the ballot is cast. These will be the majority of votes cast.
- Absentee voters - Absentee ballots are ballots cast for a municipality where the voter is not currently residing, but is registered to vote in that municipality. All absentee ballots will be counted at the Counting Centre.
- Conditional ballot voters - Conditional ballots are ballots cast by voters whose eligibility must be verified by the OSCE before their votes can be counted as valid. For example, voters who have registration receipts and a valid for of identification but who cannot be found on the Final Voters List and voters who registered to vote out of Kosovo and have returned will vote using a conditional ballot. These ballots will be sealed in a secrecy envelope and then placed in another envelope on which will be written the information needed to confirm the voter's eligibility. All valid conditional ballots will be counted at the Counting Centre.
- Out-of-Kosovo voters - Most out-of-Kosovo voters have been mailed ballots in advance to enable the voters to complete their ballots and mail them back prior to Election Day, while others will be voting at Polling Stations in Montenegro, Albanian and Macedonia. All out-of-Kosovo ballots will be counted at the Counting Centre.
Following the close of Polling Stations, an accounting procedure will begin, under the direction of the Polling Station Chairperson and the OSCE International Supervisor, to count and package spoiled and unused ballots and to reconcile the number of ballots issued to voters with signatures on the Final Voters List. Only once this procedure has been completed will the ballot boxes be opened.
The process of counting votes will proceed in three stages:
- Ballots are to be unfolded, placed face down and counted to tabulate the number of ballots cast.
- Ballots will be sorted for each political party, coalition, citizens initiative and independent candidate appearing on the ballot. Invalid ballots will be segregated.
- The votes for each political entity will be sorted by votes cast for individual candidates. The results for the number of votes for political entities and individual candidates will be recorded and announced to those present at the Polling Station.
The Counting Centre in Pristina will count the absentee, conditional, special needs and Out-of-Kosovo ballots. It will also act as the central location where all ballots and election material from Polling Stations will be delivered to once the counting process at Polling Stations has been completed. The process of counting votes cast by absentee, conditional, special needs and Out-of-Kosovo ballots for political entities and individual candidates will proceed in the same manner as at Polling Stations.
The final results of the municipal elections are obtained by combining the results of regular valid ballots cast with the valid conditional, special needs and Out-of-Kosovo ballots cast. If there are complaints regarding the counting process at Polling Stations or the Counting Centre they can be submitted to the Election Appeals and Complaints sub-Commission no later than 48 hours after the alleged violation. The Central Elections Commission shall recommend certification to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, who is responsible for certifying the election results once all complaints are addressed.
As a further means to guarantee the integrity and transparency of the counting process, accredited observers and the media are entitled to be present throughout the counting process, both at individual Polling Stations and the Counting Centre in Pristina.
For further information, contact Roland Bless, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: (+381-38) 500-162 or satphone: 871-762-009-948, ext. 260 / mobile: (+389-70) 250-576 / e-mail: press@omik.org or website: //www.osce.org/kosovo