Election Process in the Republic of Belarus

Voting

Candidates in the Republic of Belarus are nominated by political parties and citizens (at conferences of labor collectives or through signature collection).

Registration of candidates is carried out by election commissions. Election commissions consist of representatives of political parties and public associations, and persons nominated by citizens (at conferences of labor collectives or through signature collection).

Candidates' rights and election campaigning 

Upon registration candidates have equal rights to speak at pre-election meetings, in the press, on state-run radio and TV.

A candidate has the right to publish the election agenda in the mass media. The agenda of the candidate should not contain war propaganda, appeals to violent change of the constitutional order, infringement of territorial integrity of the Republic of Belarus, social, national, religious and racial enmity, abuses and slander in relation to officials of the country and other candidates.

Candidates have the right to make campaign materials. Printed campaign materials should be produced on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. Distribution of anonymous campaign materials is prohibited.

Campaigning is not allowed on election day. Publication of the results of opinion polls is not permitted within five days prior to voting day.  Foreign citizens have no right to participate in election campaigns.

Voting process in the Republic of Belarus

Precinct election commissions notify voters of the time and place of voting not later than 10 days before the elections.

Polls open at 8 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on election day.

Voters who may not be able to vote on the designated election day can cast their vote not earlier than 5 days before general voting.

The precinct election commission is obliged to provide a possibility to take part in voting for people who due to health or other good reasons are not able to come to polling stations on the polling day. To this end upon the request of voters the precinct commission authorizes two or more its members to organize voting at the place of residence of these persons.

Ballot boxes are opened by the precinct election commission after the chairman of the commission has declared that voting is finished. The vote count is conducted by members of the precinct election commission without a break until the results of the voting have been obtained.

Vote count of the elections in the Republic of Belarus

The results of the vote count are considered at a session of the precinct commission and entered onto the protocol forms. The protocol is immediately submitted to the territorial election commission for presidential elections in Belarus or the district election commission for elections of deputies. After that the copy of the protocol is made available for the public.

The results of elections of deputies are finalized at a meeting of the district election commission.

During presidential elections territorial election commissions sum up election results in a region (town). Given this data the Minsk Oblast and Minsk City Commission for Elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus finalizes the outcomes of elections in the Minsk Oblast and the City of Minsk.

The Central Election Commission  establishes the final outcome of a presidential election at its meeting within 10 days after the voting is finished based on the protocols of the oblast election  commissions and the Minsk City Election Commission.

Election results can be overturned on appeal to a higher election commission, and hereafter to the court. 

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