Source: https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/530102013085/consolide
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 02:25:54+00:00

Document:
This Act regulates the election of Members of the European Parliament in Estonia.
(1) In Estonia, six Members of the European Parliament shall be elected.
(2) Elections to the European Parliament shall be free, general, uniform and direct. Voting shall be secret.
(3) Each voter shall have one vote.
(4) Election results shall be determined based on the principle of proportionality.
(1) Members of the European Parliament shall be elected for a term of five years.
(2) Elections to the European Parliament shall be held on a date falling within the period determined by the Council of the European Union. The elections shall be held on a Sunday.
(3) Elections to the European Parliament shall be declared by the President of the Republic by a resolution not later than three months before election day.
(1) Estonian citizens who have attained 18 years of age by election day shall have the right to vote.
3) he or she has not been deprived of the right to vote in his or her home Member State.
2) he or she has been convicted of a crime by a court and is serving sentence in a penal institution.
(4) Estonian citizens who have attained 21 years of age by election day shall have the right to stand as candidates.
3) a person in active service in the Defence Forces.
(7) A person may vote or stand as a candidate only in one Member State of the European Union in the same elections to the European Parliament.
(1) Active election campaigning is prohibited on election day.
(2) Election campaigning is prohibited in polling places and premises through which voters enter polling places.
Advertising of independent candidates, political parties or persons who stand as candidates in the list of a political party, or their logo or other distinctive mark or programme on a building, civil engineering works, inner or outer side of public transport vehicles or taxis, and other political outdoor advertising shall be prohibited during the active campaigning.
Elections to the European Parliament are held in one national electoral district.
(1) In order to hold voting, voting districts shall be formed within the territory of a local government.
(3) Voting districts are permanent. Voting shall be held in the same voting districts for European Parliament, Riigikogu, local government council elections and referendums, unless the rural municipality or city government determines otherwise and amends the regulation specified in subsection (2) of this section.
(5) A rural municipality or city government shall make the information specified in subsection (2) of this section public before the elections.
4) the Electronic Voting Committee.
(2) In Tallinn and the city of Tartu, the functions of the county electoral committees shall be performed by the city electoral committee.
(2) Voting district committees shall be formed before European Parliament elections. The authority of a voting district committee shall continue until the new membership of the committee is appointed.
(1) A person who has the right to vote according to subsections 4 (1)-(3) of this Act and whose authority of a member of an electoral committee has not been terminated in the course of the last five years by a resolution of the National Electoral Committee may be a member of an electoral committee. Members of a voting district committee must be proficient in Estonian.
(2) The provisions of subsections 11 (2)-(-4), (6) and (9) of the Riigikogu Election Act apply to members of voting district committees.
3) is presented for registration as a candidate for Member of the European Parliament.
4) by a Resolution of a county electoral committee or the National Electoral Committee.
2) in the case prescribed in clause (3) 3) of this section, as of the date following the date when the candidate is not registered or declines to stand as a candidate or as of the date when the election results are announced if the candidate is not elected.
(5) A member of an electoral committee shall not campaign for or against political parties or candidates.
The work of electoral committees shall be organised pursuant to the provisions of § 12 of the Riigikogu Election Act.
Assistance to electoral committees shall be provided pursuant to the provisions of § 13 of the Riigikogu Election Act.
(1) The function of the National Electoral Committee is to ascertain the voting results and election results across the whole country, to ensure the uniformity of the conduct of European Parliament elections, to instruct other electoral committees, to exercise supervision over their activities and to perform other functions arising from law.
7) to declare the voting results in a voting district, an electoral district, a county, Tallinn or the city of Tartu invalid or to declare the electronic voting results invalid in full or partially and to hold a repeat vote if the violation significantly affected or could have significantly affected the voting results.
10) the procedure for the use of money allocated for the organisation of elections.
(6) Regulations, resolutions and instructions of the National Electoral Committee shall be binding on county electoral committees, the Electronic Voting Committee and voting district committees.
(1) The function of a county electoral committee is to ascertain the voting results in the county, to instruct voting district committees, to exercise supervision over their activities and to perform other functions arising from this Act.
6) make a proposal to the National Electoral Committee to declare the voting results in a voting district invalid and to hold a repeat vote in the voting district if the violation significantly affected or could have significantly affected the voting results.
(4) Resolutions and instructions of county electoral committees shall be binding on voting district committees.
(1) A voting district committee shall be comprised of up to nine members.
(2) The local government council (hereinafter council) shall appoint the chairman and members of a voting district committee by a resolution on the proposal of the rural municipality or city secretary and in consideration of the principle of political balance not later than on the twentieth day before election day.
(3) The rural municipality or city secretary shall present half of the members of a voting district committee, and the political parties participating in the elections shall present the remaining members.
(4) Political parties participating in the election may present one member candidate for a voting district committee to the rural municipality or city secretary not later than on the forty-fifth day before election day.
(5) The consent of the person is required to appoint him or her a member of a voting district committee.
(6) If political parties do not present candidates or if the number of candidates presented by them is smaller than the number of places which parties have in the voting district committee, the council shall appoint the remaining members on the proposal of the rural municipality or city secretary.
(7) If the number of member candidates for a voting district committee presented by political parties exceeds the number of places which political parties have in the voting district committee, all the remaining candidates are appointed alternate members of the voting district committee.
(8) The council shall also appoint, on the proposal of the rural municipality or city secretary and pursuant to subsection (7) of this section, at least two alternate members who, during the term of authority of the committee and in the order specified by the council, shall replace the members of the committee whose authority is suspended or terminates.
(9) A voting district committee shall elect a deputy chairman of the committee from among its members.
(10) Operational and clerical support shall be provided to a voting district committee by the rural municipality or city government.
6) information on place of residence.
(1) Not later than on the seventieth day before election day, the chief processor of the population register shall organise the preparation of notices and their sending to citizens of the European Union who, pursuant to subsections 4 (2) and (3) of this Act, have the right to participate in voting.
5) time and place of voting on advance voting days and on election day.
(2) The basis for the preparation of the lists of voters shall be the information prescribed in subsection 17 (3) of this Act, as at the thirtieth day before election day. Upon preparation of the list of voters, any amendments made to the information specified in clauses 17 (3) 1)-5) of this Act after the thirtieth day before election day shall also be taken into account. Amendments made to the residential address details after the thirtieth day before election day shall not be taken into account.
3) the person is a citizen of the European Union and has not submitted an application to be entered in the list of voters or has submitted a request to be removed from the list.
(4) A voter shall be entered in the list of voters of the voting district in the territory of which his or her residence, as entered in the population register, is located on the thirtieth day before election day. If the information on the residence of a voter is entered in the population register to the accuracy of the rural municipality or city, or in Tallinn to the accuracy of the city district, the voter shall be entered in the list of voters of a voting district determined pursuant to clause 7 (2) 5) of this Act.
(6) Voters shall be entered in the list of voters in alphabetical order according to their surname.
(7) The person who prepares the list of voters shall sign the list of voters not later than on the seventh day before election day and the chairman of the voting district committee shall sign the list of voters on election day after the close of voting. The chairman of the Electronic Voting Committee shall sign the list of voters who voted using electronic means after the close of voting.
(1) A citizen of the European Union who, pursuant to subsections 4 (2) and (3) of this Act, has the right to participate in the voting and who wishes to exercise the said right shall submit an application to be entered in the list of voters to the chief processor of the population register not later than on the thirtieth day before election day. The person shall append a copy of the page of his or her identity document containing personal data to the application.
5) that he or she has not been deprived of the right to vote in his or her home Member State.
(3) The chief processor of the population register shall enter a person in the list of voters pursuant to the procedure prescribed in § 20 of this Act and inform the competent administrative authorities of the person’s home Member State thereof and inform the person of being entered or not being entered in the list of voters.
2) has had a permanent residence in Estonia, which is entered in the population register, during the entire period of time between the elections.
(2) After election day, the authorised representatives of political parties and independent candidates and their authorised representatives may, in the event of justified interest, examine lists of voters to the extent necessary and the lists may also be used for scientific purposes.
(2) The rural municipality or city secretary shall promptly review the application together with the person who prepared the list of voters and shall respond to the applicant in writing within three working days as of the date of receipt thereof and inform the voting district committee of the results of the review.
2) a person who does not have the right to participate in the voting shall be deleted from the list.
3) a person who, according to a notice from the competent administrative authorities of another Member State of the European Union, has been entered in the list of voters or electoral register of that Member State shall be deleted from the list of voters.
(2) In order to amend the list of voters, a person shall submit an application to be entered in the population register or an application for the amendment of register information which is the basis for the registration of voters to a rural municipality or city secretary. The rural municipality or city secretary shall review the application together with the person who prepared the list of voters and shall promptly respond to the person.
(3) If a person is entered in the population register or if register information which is the basis for the registration of voters is amended such that this brings about the entry of the person in the list of voters, the rural municipality or city secretary shall promptly notify the voting district committee thereof.
(4) A voting district committee shall make amendments to the list of voters on the basis of a notice issued by the rural municipality or city secretary.
2) to satisfy the complaint and issue a precept to the rural municipality or city secretary to arrange that the person's data be entered in the population register or to amend the register information which is the basis for the registration of voters.
(8) If the administrative court grants a complaint, the person's data shall be promptly entered in the population register or the information pertaining to him or her shall be amended and the voting district committee shall be promptly notified thereof.
(9) If a citizen of the European Union is deleted from the list of voters, the chief processor of the population register shall notify thereof the competent administrative authorities of the person’s home Member State.
(1) Political parties which are entered in the non-profit associations and foundations register on the last day for the nomination of candidates may participate in European Parliament elections.
(3) Political parties shall participate in European Parliament elections under their own name.
(4) A political party shall, upon nominating candidates, submit a written notice to the National Electoral Committee which sets out the names, personal identification codes, addresses and telecommunications numbers of the authorised representatives of the political party. A person entitled to represent the political party according to the Non-profit Associations Act or the articles of association of the political party shall sign the notice.
(5) A political party may authorise up to two persons to represent the party.
Any person who is entitled to stand as a candidate may present himself or herself for registration as an independent candidate and perform the acts necessary for registration. A person who has the right to vote pursuant to subsections 4 (1)-(3) of this Act may nominate another person as an independent candidate and perform the acts necessary for his or her registration on the basis of a corresponding authorisation document.
2) personal data form of the candidate.
3) confirm that he or she is not standing as a candidate for election as a Member of the European Parliament in any other Member State.
2) information on the local government or electoral district in his or her home Member State in the electoral register in which his or her name was last entered.
(6) When a citizen of the European Union submits the documents required to stand as a candidate, he or she must also produce an attestation from the competent administrative authorities of his or her home Member State certifying that he or she has not been deprived of the right to stand as a candidate in that Member State or that no such deprivation of the right is known to those authorities.
(7) The National Electoral Committee shall not disclose the personal identification code, residential address or telecommunications numbers of a candidate.
(8) A candidate shall use only his or her given name and surname as his or her name when standing as a candidate.
(9) The chief processor of the population register shall promptly give notice of the submission of an application to stand as a candidate by a citizen of the European Union to the competent administrative authorities of his or her home Member State.
(1) A political party shall prepare a list of candidates.
(2) A list of candidates may include up to twelve candidates.
(3) A person can stand as a candidate in the list of candidates of one political party only. A person who is nominated as an independent candidate or who is a member of another political party registered in Estonia shall not stand in a list of candidates.
(4) A political party may submit only one list of candidates for registration.
(5) The order of candidates in the list shall be specified by the political party.
(6) A list of candidates shall be signed by all authorised representatives of the political party.
(1) The nomination of candidates shall begin on the sixtieth day before election day. A political party may present its candidates after the submission of the notice specified in subsection 25 (4) of this Act.
(2) The nomination of candidates shall end on the forty-fifth day before election day at 6 p.m.
4) the candidate documents of each candidate (subsections 27 (1) and (6)).
3) the candidate documents (subsections 27 (1) and (6)).
(5) Before nominating candidates, a political party or an independent candidate shall deposit an amount, the size of which is equal to five minimum salary rates as established by the Government of the Republic, for each person nominated, in the bank account of the National Electoral Committee as the security.
(1) The National Electoral Committee shall maintain records concerning the nomination of candidates.
(2) The registration documents of candidates shall be delivered by an authorised representative of the political party. The registration documents of an independent candidate shall be delivered by the independent candidate or his or her authorised representative.
(3) If not all the required documents are submitted to the National Electoral Committee or if the documents contain errors or omissions or they are not in conformity with the standard format established by the National Electoral Committee, the person who accepts documents shall propose to the person who submits the documents that the required documents or information be submitted, that documents conforming with the standard format be submitted or that the errors be corrected. All the documents submitted shall be returned.
(4) If a political party or an independent candidate wishes to make amendments to the registration documents of candidates, the National Electoral Committee shall return all the documents submitted and, upon re-submission thereof, the documents shall be deemed to have been submitted for the first time.
(5) If a candidate is deleted from the list of nominated candidates on the basis of a personal application, the National Electoral Committee shall return the candidate documents to him or her and inform an authorised representative of the political party or independent candidate thereof. The political party is not required to submit the registration documents of candidates again.
(6) If a political party or an independent candidate submits documents before 6 p.m. on the forty-fifth day before election day and it becomes evident that not all the required documents have been submitted, that the documents contain omissions or are not in conformity with the standard format established by the National Electoral Committee, or that the documents submitted contain errors which cannot be corrected immediately, the documents shall be accepted. The person who accepts the documents shall propose to the person submitting the documents that the missing documents or information be submitted, that documents conforming with the standard format established by the National Electoral Committee be submitted or that the errors be corrected. In such case, the political party or independent candidate shall perform the required acts not later than before 6 p.m. on the forty-third day before election day.
(1) The National Electoral Committee shall, after expiry of the term for the nomination of candidates but not later than on the fortieth day before election day, register all persons nominated in accordance with the requirements of this Act in the order of their nomination.
(2) Each candidate shall be assigned a registration number. Registration numbers shall begin at 101 and shall be assigned to the candidates according to the lists of political parties. Independent candidates shall be assigned registration numbers after the candidates of political parties have been assigned numbers. The sequence of assigning numbers between political parties and independent candidates shall be determined by drawing lots.
2) a candidate if documents or information concerning him or her are missing or if their documents contain errors or are not in conformity with the standard format.
(4) The National Electoral Committee shall adopt a reasoned resolution on failure to register a candidate.
3) it is established that the candidate does not comply with the requirements prescribed in subsections 4 (4)–(7) of this Act.
(6) The National Electoral Committee shall register a person who was not registered previously after the term specified in subsection (1) of this section if the Committee finds that the person complies with the requirements prescribed in subsections 4 (4)–(7) of this Act or if the resolution of the National Electoral Committee not to register the candidate is revoked by a judgment of the Supreme Court.
(1) After the registration of candidates, the National Electoral Committee shall prepare a consolidated list of candidates.
(2) Candidates shall be entered in the consolidated list of candidates by the lists of candidates of political parties in the order of the registration numbers. The name of the political party which submitted the list shall be indicated at the top of the list of candidates. Independent candidates shall be entered in the consolidated list of candidates in the order of the registration numbers after the lists of candidates of political parties.
(3) The registration number and name of each candidate shall be set out in the consolidated list of candidates. If several candidates with the same name stand as candidates, their dates of birth shall also be set out in the consolidated list.
(4) The National Electoral Committee shall inform the electoral committees, foreign missions organising voting in foreign states and masters of ships of all corrections and amendments to consolidated lists of candidates, and they shall make the corresponding corrections or amendments to the consolidated lists of candidates in the electoral districts. The consolidated lists of candidates shall not be amended after the thirteenth day before election day.
(2) A polling place shall have places for the distribution of ballot papers, voting booths and a ballot box. In a voting district where voting outside the voting districts of voters’ residences is held, the polling place shall have, during advance voting, a separate voting booth and ballot box for the voters who vote outside the voting district of their residence. The consolidated list of candidates shall be posted in the polling place.
(2) A voting booth shall have a table and a writing instrument. The consolidated list of candidates shall be on the wall of the voting booth.
(3) After the receipt of ballot papers, a voting district committee shall put an impression of the seal of the voting district committee on the ballot papers. The National Electoral Committee shall put an impression of the seal on ballot papers used for voting in foreign states and on board ships.
(1) A voter shall vote in the voting district where he or she is entered in the list of voters, except in the cases prescribed in §§ 41-44 and 46 and in Chapter 71 and 8 of this Act.
(4) The voter shall write the registration number of the candidate for whom he or she wishes to vote in the designated space on the ballot paper.
(5) The voter shall complete the ballot paper himself or herself. If a voter, due to physical disability, is unable to complete the ballot paper himself or herself, the ballot paper may be completed, at the request and in the presence of the voter, by another voter, but not by a candidate for Member of the European Parliament.
(7) After completing the ballot paper, the voter shall fold the ballot paper and hand it to a member of the voting district committee who shall put an impression of the seal of the voting district committee on the outside of the folded ballot paper.
(1) Advance voting shall be held pursuant to the procedure prescribed in § 38 of this Act.
(2) A voter entered in the list of voters who has attained 18 years of age as at the day of the advance voting has the right to vote in the advance voting.
(1) On advance voting days (subsection 37 (2)), voters may vote outside the voting district of their residence in a voting district designated by the county electoral committee or rural municipality or city government.
(2) A voting district committee designated by the rural municipality or city government shall organise voting outside the voting district of residence on the days prescribed in clause 37 (2) 2) of this Act. The rural municipality or city government may designate a voting district committee which, in addition to advance voting, organises voting only at the location of a voter (§ 42) or only in custodial institutions (§ 44).
(3) A county electoral committee, except the Harju County Electoral Committee and the Tartu County Electoral Committee, shall designate, not later than on the forty-fifth day before election day, at least one voting district located in a county town, where voters can vote outside the voting district of their residence on the days prescribed in clause 37 (2) 1) of this Act. In Tallinn and the city of Tartu, the city electoral committee shall designate this voting district. Each county electoral committee shall publish its resolution not later than in the week preceding the beginning of advance voting.
(2) A member of the voting district committee shall issue a ballot paper and two envelopes to the voter. The voter shall sign the list of voters voting outside the voting district of their residence against the receipt of a ballot paper.
(3) The voter shall complete the ballot paper pursuant to the provisions of subsections 38 (3)-(6) of this Act.
(1) If a voter who wishes to vote outside the voting district of his or her residence is unable to vote at a polling place located in a voting district due to his or her state of health or for another good reason, he or she may, until 2 p.m. on the last day of advance voting, submit a written application to vote at his or her location to the rural municipality or city government of his or her location or to a voting district committee prescribed in subsection 40 (2) of this Act. The voting district committee shall register the application. The rural municipality or city government shall register the application and forward the application to the appropriate voting district committee.
(2) Voting shall be organised by at least two members of the voting district committee pursuant to the provisions of subsections 38 (4)-(6) and subsections 41 (1), (2) and (4) of this Act.
(1) Voting in custodial institutions shall be held on the days prescribed in clause 37 (2) 2) of this Act.
(2) The administration of a custodial institution shall submit an application for voting to be held to the voting district committee prescribed in subsection 40 (2) of this Act.
(3) Voting shall be organised by at least two members of the voting district committee pursuant to the provisions of subsections 38 (4)-(6) and subsections 41 (1), (2) and (4) of this Act.
(4) Upon ascertaining of the voting results, the votes of voters who voted at advance voting in a custodial institution shall be taken into account pursuant to the provisions of § 47 of this Act.
(3) Home voting shall be organised by at least two members of the voting district committee pursuant to the provisions of subsections 38 (1), (2), (4)–(6) and (8) of this Act.
(1) A voter residing in a foreign state who is entered in the list of voters permanently residing in a foreign state and who has not voted pursuant to the procedure provided for in Chapter 8 of this Act may vote during advance voting in any voting district designated pursuant to the procedure provided for in the first sentence of subsection 40 (2) or in subsection 41 (3) of this Act.
(2) In order to receive a ballot paper, a voter shall present an identity document to the voting district committee and he or she shall be entered in the list of voters voting outside the voting district of their residence.
(3) A member of the voting district committee shall issue a ballot paper and two envelopes to the voter. The voter shall sign the list of voters voting outside the voting district of their residence against the receipt of a ballot paper.
(4) The voter shall complete the ballot paper pursuant to the provisions of subsections 38 (3)-(6) of this Act.
(5) The voter shall place the ballot paper in one of the envelopes given by the member of the voting district committee. The voter shall place the envelope in the other envelope given to him or her by the member of the voting district committee. The voter or the member of the voting district committee shall write the name, personal identification code and residential address of the voter on the outer envelope. The voter shall deposit the envelope in the ballot box prescribed for the ballot papers of voters who vote outside the voting district of their residence.
(6) Upon the ascertaining of the voting results, votes cast pursuant to the procedure prescribed in subsection (1) of this section shall be taken into account pursuant to the provisions of subsections 47 (1) and (2) and subsections 54 (2)-(6) of this Act.
(1) A voting district committee shall pack the envelopes with the ballot papers of voters who voted outside the voting district of their residence by the counties, and by the cities of Tallinn and Tartu, and shall forward the envelopes to the county electoral committee of their location.
(7) After performing the acts prescribed in subsections (4)-(6) of this section, the voting district committee shall open the outer envelopes, deposit the inner envelopes with ballot papers in the ballot box used at the advance voting and seal the opening of the ballot box again.
Electronic voting shall be organised at the time provided for in clause 37 (2) 3) of this Act and pursuant to the procedure provided for in Chapter 71 of the Riigikogu Election Act.
(1) Voting in a foreign state for voters permanently residing in the foreign state and voters temporarily staying there shall be organised by foreign missions of Estonia.
(2) A consular authority led by an honorary consul the honorary consul of which is an Estonian citizen may be designated to organise voting by an order of the Government of the Republic. In such case, the consular authority led by the honorary consul shall perform the acts prescribed in this Chapter.
(3) Voting shall be organised by the head of a foreign mission or an official designated by him or her. In the case prescribed in subsection (2) of this section, voting shall be held by the honorary consul or a person designated by him or her. The person who holds voting must be entitled to the right to vote pursuant to subsections 4 (1) and (3) of this Act.
3) details of residential address, if known.
(5) If the address of a voter permanently residing in a foreign state or a voter temporarily staying there is known, the foreign mission shall send a voter’s card to him or her by post or electronic mail not later than on the eighty-fifth day before election day.
9) the time of electronic voting.
(1) If a voter wishes to vote by post, he or she shall send a corresponding application to the Estonian foreign mission in the country of his or her habitual residence. If Estonia does not have a foreign mission in the country of habitual residence of a voter, the voter shall send the application to the closest foreign mission of Estonia.
2) indicate in the application his or her residential address in the foreign state.
3) indicate his or her last residence in Estonia (the county, the city district in Tallinn, or the city of Tartu). If a voter permanently residing in a foreign state has not had a residence in Estonia, he or she shall indicate the last residence of his or her parents or grandparents in Estonia.
(4) A voter temporarily staying in a foreign state shall indicate his or her residential address in Estonia in the application in addition to the information prescribed in clauses (2) 1) and 2) of this section.
(5) Applications shall have been received by the foreign mission not later than on the thirtieth day before election day.
(1) A voter shall complete a ballot paper pursuant to the provisions of this Act. The voter shall place the completed ballot paper in one of the envelopes sent by the foreign mission. The voter shall place this envelope in the other envelope sent by the foreign mission. The voter shall write his or her name and personal identification code on the outer envelope. A voter temporarily staying in a foreign state shall also write his or her residential address in Estonia on the outer envelope. Thereafter the voter shall send the ballot paper to the foreign mission.
(2) Ballot papers sent by post shall have been received by the foreign mission no later than by the day determined by the foreign mission, which shall be determined such that the National Electoral Committee will receive the ballot papers not later than on the fourth day before election day.
(3) A foreign mission shall prepare the list of voters who voted by post and shall forward the list to the National Electoral Committee such that the National Electoral Committee will receive the list not later than on the fourth day before election day.
(4) Upon voting by post, the expenses relating to the acts specified in subsection 49 (1) of this Act and subsection (1) of this section shall be borne by the voter.
(1) If a voter does not submit an application to vote by post within the term provided for in subsection 49 (5) of this Act or does not send a ballot paper to the foreign mission by the due date provided for in subsection 51 (2), he or she may vote at the foreign mission at a time determined by the foreign mission.
(2) A foreign mission shall allow voting at the mission on at least two days in the period between fifteen days and ten days before the election day.
(3) At a foreign mission, a voter shall complete a ballot paper pursuant to the provisions of this Act. Thereafter the voter shall place the completed ballot paper in an envelope. The voter shall place the envelope in another envelope. The voter or the person who holds voting shall write the name and personal identification code of the voter on the outer envelope. A voter temporarily staying in a foreign state shall also write his or her residential address in Estonia on the outer envelope.
(4) A voter voting at a foreign mission shall sign the list of voters voting at the foreign mission against the receipt of a ballot paper.
(1) The ballot papers received by a foreign mission shall be taken into account in the ascertaining of the voting results if they are received by the National Electoral Committee not later than on the fourth day before election day.
(2) When the National Electoral Committee has received the envelopes with ballot papers of voters permanently residing in a foreign state, the Committee shall verify that the voters permanently residing in a foreign state have not voted several times and that the voters permanently residing in a foreign state who voted in Estonia have been entered in the list of voters permanently residing in a foreign state.
(3) If a voter permanently residing in a foreign state has voted several times with a ballot paper or if he or she has not been entered in the list of voters permanently residing in a foreign state, the National Electoral Committee shall not take into account any of the envelopes with ballot papers of the voter. If a voter has voted using electronic means as well as with a ballot paper, the ballot paper of the voter shall be taken into account. If a voter has voted several times with a ballot paper and using electronic means, all envelopes with ballot papers of the voter as well as the vote cast foreign mission shall not be taken into account.
(4) The National Electoral Committee shall designate a county electoral committee which shall ascertain the voting results of voters permanently residing in a foreign state.
(5) The National Electoral Committee shall forward the ballot papers of voters permanently residing in a foreign state to the electoral committee designated in subsection (4) of this section not later than on the second day before election day.
(6) Envelopes with the ballot papers of voters permanently residing in a foreign state shall remain in the county electoral committee and they shall be opened on election day in order to ascertain the voting results.
(7) Not later than on the day before election day, the National Electoral Committee shall forward the envelopes with the ballot papers of voters temporarily staying in a foreign state to the corresponding voting district committees where the ballots are to be taken into account when the voting results are being ascertained pursuant to the provisions of subsections 47 (4)-(7) of this Act.
(1) If a ship flying the national flag of Estonia which has voters on board is located in international waters or waters of a foreign state on advance voting days or election day, the master of the ship may submit an application to the National Electoral Committee to hold voting on board the ship.
(2) The master of a ship shall organise voting on board the ship pursuant to the provisions of this Act. Voters shall vote on a ship pursuant to the provisions of subsections 38 (3)–(6) and subsection 41 (4) of this Act. Upon ascertaining of the voting results, votes cast on board a ship shall be taken into account pursuant to the provisions of subsections 54 (1) and (7) of this Act.
The counting of votes shall begin on election day after the close of voting in Estonia. Voting results shall not be disclosed before the close of voting in all Member States of the European Union.
(1) If the counting of votes does not begin immediately after the close of voting, the voting district committee shall seal the ballot box.
(3) Before the ballot boxes are opened, the voting district committee shall ascertain, on the basis of the list of voters, the number of voters, and, on the basis of the signatures given in receipt of a ballot paper and notations made, the preliminary number of those who participated in the voting, and immediately forward them to the National Electoral Committee. Notations concerning voters who voted in the advance voting outside the voting district of their residence, using electronic means or at home made in the list of voters shall be considered. The number of voters shall be entered in a standard format record.
(4) When a ballot box is opened, the condition of the impression of the seal on the box shall be inspected. More than one-half of the members of the voting district committee shall be present at the opening.
(6) The impression of the seal of the voting district committee shall be affixed to the outside of ballot papers of voters who voted outside the voting district of their residence, and these ballot papers shall be placed together with the ballot papers of persons who voted at the advance voting among the ballot papers of persons who voted in the polling place.
(7) The voting district committee shall verify the number of ballot papers extracted from the ballot boxes, including the number of invalid ballot papers and the number of votes cast for candidates and political parties, and shall enter these numbers in a standard format record.
4) the registration number written on the ballot paper is illegible.
(12) Ballot papers, lists of voters, records concerning the voting results and any dissenting opinions of members of the committee shall be promptly delivered to the county electoral committee.
(13) Voting results shall be ascertained publicly in a voting district committee. Persons who are present at the counting of votes shall follow the oral orders of the members of the voting district committee. Persons who are present at the counting of votes shall not leave the room where the votes are counted or use means of communication before the close of voting in all Member States of the European Union.
(1) The county electoral committee designated pursuant to subsection 54 (4) of this Act shall begin the counting of votes of voters permanently residing in a foreign state at the time prescribed in § 56 of this Act. At least three members of the county electoral committee shall be present at the opening of the envelopes, including the chairman or deputy chairman of the committee.
(2) The inner envelopes which contain the ballot papers of voters permanently residing in a foreign state shall be opened and an impression of the seal shall be put on the outside of the ballot papers.
(3) On the basis of the ballot papers, the county electoral committee shall verify the number of voters permanently residing in a foreign state who participated in the voting, the number of invalid ballot papers and the number of votes cast for candidates and political parties. Ballot papers shall be declared invalid pursuant to the provisions of subsections 57 (8) and (9) of this Act.
(4) A standard format record shall be prepared concerning ascertaining of the voting results of voters permanently residing in a foreign state. The chairman of the committee shall sign the record. The date and time of preparation of the record shall be indicated in the record.
(5) Voting results of voters permanently residing in a foreign state shall be ascertained publicly, taking into account the restrictions prescribed in subsection 57 (13) of this Act.
(1) On the basis of the records received from the voting district committees, the county electoral committees shall verify the number of voters entered in the lists, the number of voters who were given a ballot paper, the number of ballot papers extracted from the ballot boxes, including the number of invalid ballot papers, and the number of votes cast for candidates and political parties, and shall enter these numbers in a standard format record. The result obtained shall be checked by recounting the ballot papers.
(2) If the numbers obtained by recounting the ballot papers are different from the numbers in the records of a voting district committee, the county electoral committee shall set out the differences and the circumstances which caused such differences in the appendix to the record. Records of the voting district committee shall not be amended. The county electoral committee shall adopt a resolution concerning the final voting results.
(3) A county electoral committee shall prepare a record concerning voting results in the county, in Tallinn and in the city of Tartu which shall be signed by the chairman of the committee. The date and time of preparation of the record shall be indicated in the record.
(4) The voting results shall be ascertained in a county electoral committee in public.
(1) The Electronic Voting Committee shall ascertain the results of electronic voting on election day after 8 p.m.
4) the number of electronic votes cast for candidates and political parties.
(6) An electronic vote which does not contain the registration number of the candidate or which is not in conformity with the standard format established by the National Electoral Committee shall be null and void.
(7) Counting of votes cast using electronic means shall be public, taking into account the restrictions prescribed in subsection 57 (13) of this Act. Persons who are present at the counting of votes shall follow the oral orders of the members of the Electronic Voting Committee.
(8) The chairman of the Electronic Voting Committee shall sign the results of the electronic voting.
(9) The chairman of the Electronic Voting Committee shall enter the voting results in the election information system immediately.
(1) On the basis of the record concerning the voting results of voters in counties and voters permanently residing in a foreign state which are received from the county electoral committees and on the basis of the voting results of voters who voted using electronic means, the National Electoral Committee shall ascertain the number of voters entered in the lists of voters, the number of voters who were given a ballot paper, the number of voters who participated in voting, the number of invalid ballot papers and the number of votes cast for candidates and political parties.
(2) The National Electoral Committee shall prepare a record concerning the voting results which shall be signed by the chairman of the Committee. The date and time of preparation of the record shall be indicated in the record.
(3) The ascertaining of the voting results in the National Electoral Committee shall be public.
(1) Mandates shall be distributed using the d'Hondt distribution method with the distribution series of 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. The comparative figure of an independent candidate shall be the total number of votes cast in favour of the candidate. A mandate shall be received by the political party or independent candidate whose comparative figure is higher. If the comparative figures of at least two political parties or independent candidates are equal, the mandate shall be received by the political party or independent candidate who was positioned further toward the bottom in the consolidated list of candidates.
(2) The candidates shall be re-ranked in the list of the political party according to the number of votes cast for each candidate. If at least two candidates receive an equal number of votes, the candidate who was further towards the top of the list submitted by the political party shall be ranked ahead. In the re-ranked list of the political party, the mandate shall be given to the candidate who is further towards the top of the list.
(3) No political party shall be given more mandates than there are candidates in its list.
(4) If a resolution to register a candidate included in the list of a political party is revoked (subsection 31 (5)), the votes cast for him or her in a foreign state shall be retained by that political party. The votes of a candidate who dies after the start of the advance voting shall also be retained by the political party. If the registration decision of an independent candidate is annulled or an independent candidate dies, votes cast in favour of the candidate shall not be taken into account in the ascertaining of election results.
(5) The National Electoral Committee shall prepare a record concerning the election results which shall be signed by the Chairman of the Committee. The date and time of preparation of the record shall be indicated in the record.
(6) Election results shall be ascertained in the National Electoral Committee in public.
(1) Expenses incurred in the preparation and holding of European Parliament elections shall be covered from the state budget.
(2) The National Electoral Committee shall prepare a draft budget for election expenditure.
(3) The National Electoral Committee shall decide on the distribution of budget expenditure on the basis of the size of the allocations from the state budget.
(4) Expenditure relating to the registration of voters (Chapter 5) shall be covered from the state budget out of separate funds allocated to the budget of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
(2) A complaint shall be signed by the complainant. A complaint from a political party shall be signed by the authorised representative of the political party.
(3) If a complaint is not in conformity with the requirements prescribed in subsections (1) and (2) of this section or the complaint is filed in violation of the procedure prescribed in §§ 68 and 69 of this Act, the body with which the complaint was filed may refuse to review the complaint and may return it to the complainant.
(1) If an individual, a candidate or a political party (hereinafter interested person) finds that an act of a voting district committee violates his or her rights, the person may file a complaint with the county electoral committee.
(2) The complaint shall be filed with the county electoral committee within three days as of the act prescribed in subsection (1) of this section being performed.
(3) The county electoral committee shall review the complaint and adopt a resolution within three working days as of receipt of the complaint. The county electoral committee shall promptly communicate the resolution to the complainant.
(6) If a country electoral committee satisfies the complaint, the committee may decide to perform the acts specified in subsection 14 (2) of this Act.
(1) If an interested person finds that a resolution or act of a county electoral committee or an act of the Electronic Voting Committee violates his or her rights, the person may file a complaint with the National Electoral Committee. A person whose complaint against an act of a voting district committee is dismissed by a county electoral committee may file a complaint against the act of the voting district committee with the National Electoral Committee.
(3) The complaint against an act of the Electronic Voting Committee shall be filed with the National Electoral Committee within three days as of the act prescribed in subsection (1) of this section being performed.
(4) The National Electoral Committee shall review the complaint and shall adopt a resolution within three working days as of receipt of the complaint. The National Electoral Committee shall promptly communicate the resolution to the complainant.
(5) The complaint shall be reviewed in public. The National Electoral Committee shall notify the complainant of the time and place of review of the complaint.
(7) If the National Electoral Committee satisfies the complaint, the Committee may decide to perform the acts listed in subsection 13 (2) of this Act.
(1) If an interested person finds that an act of a voting district committee or the Electronic Voting Committee, a resolution or act of a county electoral committee or a resolution or act of the National Electoral Committee violates his or her rights, the person may file an appeal with the Supreme Court pursuant to the procedure prescribed in the Constitutional Review Court Procedure Act.
(1) If the National Electoral Committee or the Supreme Court has declared the voting results in a voting district, an electoral district, a county, the city of Tallinn or Tartu or the state invalid, the National Electoral Committee shall determine a new date for the election and a repeat vote shall be held in the corresponding voting district, electoral district, county, in Tallinn or the city of Tartu or in the whole state.
(11) No repeat vote shall be held if the National Electoral Committee has declared the results of electronic voting invalid and has invited the persons who voted using electronic means to vote on election day pursuant to the procedure provided for in § 38 or § 45 of this Act.
(2) The provisions of §§ 39-44 and 46 and Chapter 71 and 8 of this Act do not apply to a repeat vote.
(1) Violation of the restrictions established on publication of outdoor political advertising is punishable by a fine of up to 300 fine units.
4) publishers of advertising specified in clauses 1)–3) of this subsection solidarily if their activities violate the requirements for or restrictions on advertising established by this Act and it is not possible to ascertain their separate liability.
(4) The provisions of the General Part of the Penal Code and the Code of Misdemeanour Procedure apply to the misdemeanours provided for in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
(5) Police authorities shall conduct extra-judicial proceedings in the matters of misdemeanours provided for in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
(6) County or city courts shall hear misdemeanour matters provided for in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
(1) Violation of the prohibition on taking a ballot paper out of the polling place is punishable by a fine of up to 20 fine units.
(2) The provisions of the General Part of the Penal Code and of the Code of Misdemeanour Procedure apply to the misdemeanours provided for in subsection (1) of this section.
(1) The National Electoral Committee shall register the elected Members of the European Parliament by its resolution not later than on the twentieth day after election day.
(2) If voting results have been declared invalid in the case specified in § 71 of this Act, the National Electoral Committee shall adopt the resolution to register the elected Members of the European Parliament after the results of the repeat vote become clear.
(3) The election results are deemed to be declared on the date following publication of the resolution of the National Electoral Committee set out in subsection (1) or (2) of this section in the Riigi Teataja. The National Electoral Committee shall forward the resolution to the European Parliament.
(4) If a candidate who is elected holds an office listed in clause 75 2), 4), 5), 7) or 8) of this Act at the time of declaration of election results, he or she must notify the National Electoral Committee, within ten days after the date of declaration of election results, whether he or she agrees to participate in the work of the European Parliament or wishes to continue in his or her current office and decline the mandate. If the elected candidate agrees to participate in the work of the European Parliament, he or she must submit a copy of his or her letter of resignation from his or her current office to the National Electoral Committee.
(5) If a candidate who is elected declines the mandate to the European Parliament, he or she shall be replaced by an alternate member. The replacement of a candidate who is elected shall be formulated by a resolution of the National Electoral Committee which shall be forwarded to the European Parliament.
(1) The alternate member of a Member of the European Parliament shall be the first candidate not elected to the European Parliament in the election from among the candidates in the same list in which the resigning Member of the European Parliament or the person who declined the mandate stood as a candidate.
(2) The National Electoral Committee shall register the alternate members of the European Parliament by its resolution.
(3) Candidates unelected in the list of the same political party shall be registered as alternate members when re-ranked according to the number of votes received (subsection 61 (2)).
(1) If a Member of the European Parliament to be substituted stood as an independent candidate or if there were no more candidates in the same list, the alternate member designated on the basis of an additional mandate which is distributed between the lists and independent candidates and registered with the National Electoral Committee shall become a Member of the European Parliament.
(2) The table of comparative figures of political parties and independent candidates which is approved by a resolution of the National Electoral Committee shall be the basis for the distribution of additional mandates.
(3) The table of comparative figures sets out the comparative figures calculated for political parties and independent candidates (subsection 61 (1)) in size order, starting from the comparative figure which was the first not to be taken into account upon distribution of mandates.
(4) If at least two comparative figures are equal, the comparative figure of the political party or independent candidate which received more votes from voters shall receive a higher ranking. If the number of votes of independent candidates or political parties is equal, the independent candidate or political party who was further towards the bottom of the consolidated list of candidates shall receive a higher ranking.
18) active officials or servants of the institutions of the European Communities or of the specialised bodies attached to them or of the European Central Bank.
6) if he or she is not elected as the result of a repeat vote upon entry into force of the resolution of the National Electoral Committee specified in subsection 72 (2) of this Act.
(2) The National Electoral Committee shall immediately notify the European Parliament of assumption of office specified in clause 75 2), 4), 5), 6), 7) or 8) of this Act by a Member of the European Parliament or of any circumstances specified in clauses (1) 3)–6) of this section or of such circumstances becoming known. Upon the resignation of a Member of the European Parliament, the Member of the European Parliament shall submit the request to the President of the European Parliament.
(3) Upon premature termination of the authority of a Member of the European Parliament, he or she shall be replaced by an alternate member. The replacement of a Member shall be formulated by a resolution of the National Electoral Committee which shall be forwarded to the European Parliament.
An independent candidate or political party shall receive a refund for their security if the independent candidate or political party receives at least 5 per cent of the votes nationally. The National Electoral Committee shall transfer unrefunded security into state revenues.
(1) The county electoral committee shall preserve the ballot papers for one month as of election day. Following the expiry of the aforementioned term, but not earlier than the adoption of the final resolutions in respect to any complaints filed, the county electoral committee shall organise the destruction of the ballot papers and document it.
(4) The National Electoral Committee shall establish the procedure for the preservation of the records of voting results and election results and other election documents by a regulation provided for in clause 13 (4) 6) of this Act.
Electronic voting shall not be implemented before 2005.

References: § 12
 § 13
 § 20
 § 38
 § 47
 § 56
 § 38
 § 45
 § 71