CEC: visual count of voters has no legal value

Observer Siarhei Housha sent an appeal to the CEC to report that there were irregularities in the counting of votes at polling station No. 43 in Baranavichy. Namely, the number of voters (by visual counting) did not match the number of ballots issued by the election commission.

The CEC Chairperson Lidziya Yarmoshyna, citing Article 55 of the Electoral Code, notes that the number of voters who received ballots is established according to the list of voters and the number of voters who participated in the vote – according to the ballots found in the ballot boxes. Visual count of the number of voters by observers has no legal value, notes the CEC head, since such a procedure is not provided by the electoral legislation.

Siarhei Housha also complained that the members of the polling station election commission simultaneously counted unused ballots and ballots that were in the box for early voting. The CEC said that this was a violation of a procedural nature, but according to Ms. Yarmoshyna, it could not affect the outcome of elections.

As a result, the CEC found no grounds for inspection.

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