Source: https://www.global-regulation.com/law/estonia/607799/local-government-council-election-act.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 22:44:30+00:00

Document:
entered into force pursuant to § 74.
01.01.2011, enters into force on the date which has been determined in the Decision of the Council of the European Union regarding the abrogation of the derogation established in respect of the Republic of Estonia on the basis provided for in Article 140 (2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Council Decision 2010/416/EU of 13 July 2010 (OJ L 196, 28.07.2010, p. 24–26).
(1) The elections of members of local government councils (hereinafter councils) shall be free, general, uniform and direct. Voting shall be secret.
(2) Each voter shall have one vote.
(3) Election results shall be determined based on the principle of proportionality.
Councils shall be elected for a term of four years. Council elections shall be held on the third Sunday in October in an election year.
(1) If the number of members of a council falls below the number required to obtain a majority of the votes of the membership of the council, supplementary elections shall be held in electoral districts where there are no more alternate members in the lists in order to elect members to the unfilled positions in the council.
(2) The chairman or deputy chairman of the council or, in their absence, the rural municipality mayor or city mayor shall notify the county governor of the circumstances specified in subsection (1) of this section within three days.
(3) A county governor shall call supplementary elections by his or her order with the approval of the National Electoral Committee within ten days after receipt of the notice specified in subsection (2) of this section. The elections shall be held not later than on the thirtieth day after the elections are called. Supplementary council elections shall be held on a Sunday.
(4) A rural municipality or city electoral committee shall, by a resolution thereof and with the approval of the National Electoral Committee, establish the terms for the acts regarding supplementary elections and publish them within three days after the date on which the resolution is adopted.
(5) Supplementary elections shall not be held during the three-month period directly preceding the regular local government council elections.
(1) If a new local government is formed due to a merger of local governments, the elections for the council of the newly formed local government shall be held at a time prescribed in § 2 of this Act.
(2) If the relevant local governments merge during the period between regular elections, the elections for the council of the newly formed local government shall be held before the time prescribed in § 2 of this Act.
(3) The elections for the council of a newly formed local government shall not be held during the period between regular elections if the regulation of the Government of the Republic on the alteration of administrative-territorial organisation enters into force less than one year before the election day prescribed in § 2.
(4) In the case specified in subsection (2) of this section, a county governor shall declare the elections of the council of the newly formed local government by his or her order with the approval of the National Electoral Committee within ten days after entry into force of a regulation of the Government of the Republic on the alteration of administrative-territorial organisation. Elections shall not be held earlier than on the ninetieth day after the elections are called. Elections shall be held on a Sunday.
(1) Estonian citizens and citizens of the European Union who have attained 18 years of age by election day and whose permanent residence, i.e. residence the address details of which have been entered in the Estonian population register (hereinafter population register), is located in the corresponding rural municipality or city have the right to vote.
(4) A person who has been convicted by a court and is serving a sentence in a penal institution shall not participate in voting.
(5) Every Estonian citizen and citizen of the European Union who has the right to vote and whose permanent residence is located in the corresponding rural municipality or city not later than on 1 August of an election year has the right to stand as a candidate.
For the purposes of this Act, an alien is a person who is not a citizen of the Republic of Estonia or of a Member State of the European Union.
(1) Active campaigning is prohibited on election day.
(2) Campaigning is prohibited in polling places and in premises through which voters enter polling places.
(3) The time of active election campaigning is deemed to be the time as of the last day for the registration of candidates.
Advertising of independent candidates, political parties or candidates in the list of a political party, election coalitions or candidates in the list of an election coalition or their logo or other distinctive mark or programme on a building, construction, inside or on the outside of public transport vehicles and taxis and other political outdoor advertising is prohibited during active campaigning.
(1) The number of members of the next composition of a council shall be determined by a resolution of the council. The number of members of a council shall be odd.
5) a council of not less than 79 members for more than 300,000 residents.
(3) The number of members of a council shall be determined not later than on the ninetieth day before election day.
(4) A council shall publish the resolution specified in subsection (1) of this section within three working days as of the day on which the corresponding resolution is adopted.
(1) A council shall form one electoral district in the territory of a rural municipality or city. A council shall form eight electoral districts in a local government with more than 300,000 residents, except in the case specified in the second sentence of subsection (41) of this section.
3) in local governments in which rural municipality or city districts have been formed.
(3) The number of mandates in electoral districts to be formed shall not be less than three.
(31) In the case specified in subsection 2 (2) of this section, electoral districts shall be formed by the merged local governments, and in the case specified in subsection 2 (21), electoral districts shall be formed by the local governments to be merged.
(4) In Tallinn, the council shall form electoral districts by city district.
(41) If no city districts are formed in Tallinn, the electoral districts shall be formed pursuant to the distribution and boundaries of the electoral districts in the previous local government council elections, in case the electoral districts in Tallinn were formed by city district. If any rural municipality or city merges with Tallinn, it shall form a separate electoral district.
(5) The resolution of a council concerning the formation of electoral districts shall set out the numeration and boundaries of the districts and the number of mandates in each district.
(6) Electoral districts shall be formed not later than on the ninetieth day before election day.
(7) A council shall publish the resolution specified in subsection (5) of this section within three working days as of the day on which the corresponding resolution is adopted.
4) mandates which are not distributed pursuant to clause 3) of this subsection shall be distributed on the basis of the largest-remainder rule, using the fractions of numbers obtained as a result of the calculation specified in clause 2) of this subsection.
(2) In a local government with more than one electoral district, half of the mandates shall be divided equally among the electoral districts, taking account of the principle that the number of district mandates is the smallest whole number which can be divided by the number of the electoral districts which is at least half of all the mandates. The remaining mandates shall be distributed in accordance with the provisions of subsection (1) of this section.
(1) In order to hold voting, voting districts shall be formed in the territory of an electoral district.
5) a voting district where voters can vote if the information on their residence in the rural municipality or city 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.
(3) Voting districts are permanent. Voting shall be held in the same voting districts for Riigikogu, local government council, European Parliament elections and referendums, unless the rural municipality or city government determines otherwise and amends the regulation specified in subsection (2) of this section.
(4) A rural municipality or city government may amend the regulation specified in subsection (2) of this section not later than on the fiftieth day before election day or in extraordinary cases after the specified due date. The rural municipality or city government shall promptly notify the National Electoral Committee and the chief processor of the population register of any such amendments.
(5) A rural municipality or city government shall make the information specified in subsection (2) of this section public before each elections.
(6) A county electoral committee shall make the information specified in subsection (2) of this section public during the week before the start of advance voting.
2) form electoral districts in the territory of the new rural municipality or city based on the provisions of subsections 8 (1)–(5) of this Act.
(2) The distribution of mandates shall be based on the provisions of subsections 9 (1) and (2) of this Act and the number of residents in the territory of the new rural municipality or city according to the information held in the population register as at 1 January of the year in which the mandates are distributed.
(3) The rural municipality or city governments concerned shall, upon agreement, form voting districts in the territory of the electoral districts based on the provisions of § 10 of this Act.
(4) The rural municipality or city councils and rural municipality or city governments concerned shall adopt the resolutions and issue the orders specified in this section before all the documents which are necessary in order to alter the administrative-territorial organisation are submitted to the county governor or county governors concerned.
5) the Electronic Voting Committee.
(2) In Tallinn and Tartu, the functions of the county electoral committee shall be performed by the city electoral committee.
(1) The term of authority and the procedure for formation of the National Electoral Committee, the Electronic Voting Committee, county electoral committees and the electoral committees of the cities of Tallinn and Tartu is prescribed in the Riigikogu Election Act.
(2) Rural municipality and city electoral committees and voting district committees shall be formed before the election of the council. The authority of rural municipality and city electoral committees and voting district committees shall continue until the new membership of the committee is appointed.
(1) An Estonian citizen or a citizen of the European Union who has the right to vote according to subsections 5 (1), (3) and (4) of this Act may be a member of a rural municipality or city electoral committee. A member of a rural municipality or city electoral committee shall be proficient in Estonian.
(2) An Estonian citizen, a citizen of the European Union or an alien who has the right to vote according to subsections 5 (1)-(4) of this Act may be a member of a voting district committee. Members of a voting district committee must be proficient in Estonian.
(3) A person may be a member of only one electoral committee.
3) due to his or her death.
(5) A person may be released from his or her duties as a member of an electoral committee by a reasoned resolution of the body which appointed him or her either on the initiative thereof or on the proposal of the electoral committee.
2) is nominated for registration as a candidate for election to a council.
(7) The National Electoral Committee may suspend the authority of a member of a county electoral committee, a rural municipality or city electoral committee or a voting district committee who has violated the law. A county electoral committee may suspend the authority of a member of a rural municipality or city electoral committee or a voting district committee who has violated the law.
2) in the case prescribed in clause (6) 2) 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.
(9) A member of an electoral committee shall not campaign for or against political parties, election coalitions or candidates.
(10) A member of an electoral committee shall be independent in the performance of his or her duties. A member of an electoral committee shall operate pursuant to law and the instructions of a superior electoral committee.
(1) The work format of an electoral committee shall be a meeting, which shall be convened by the chairman of the committee or, in his or her absence, by the deputy chairman, and in the absence of both the chairman and the deputy chairman, by the youngest member of the electoral committee.
(2) An electoral committee has a quorum if at least one-half of the members of the committee are present. The meeting of an electoral committee shall be chaired by the chairman of the committee or, in his or her absence, by the deputy chairman. In the absence of both the chairman and the deputy chairman, the meeting of the committee shall be chaired by the youngest member of the committee until a new deputy chairman is elected.
(3) Minutes shall be taken of the meetings of an electoral committee.
(4) The meetings of an electoral committee shall be public. Everyone has the right to examine resolutions of an electoral committee and the minutes of committee meetings.
(5) An electoral committee shall decide the issues within its competence by a majority of votes in favour. Any dissenting opinion of a member of the committee shall be recorded in the minutes.
(6) If the authority of a member of an electoral committee is suspended or terminates, the chairman shall notify the first alternate member thereof who shall assume the obligations of the member of the electoral committee.
(7) On the basis of a resolution of an electoral committee, alternate members and other persons may participate in election activities.
(8) If a principal member of the National Electoral Committee cannot participate in a meeting of the Committee, an alternate member who has all the rights and obligations of the principal member, except the rights and obligations of the chairman or deputy chairman, shall substitute for him or her.
(9) For the time elections are being organised, the employment contract or service relationship of a member or alternate member of an electoral committee or a person assisting the committee shall be suspended on the basis of a proposal made by the electoral committee.
(10) The remuneration of members of the National Electoral Committee, county electoral committees and the Electronic Voting Committee shall be organised observing the provisions of subsections 12 (10)–(12) of the Riigikogu Election Act.
(1) State and local government bodies, administrative agencies and other agencies are, within their competence, required to assist electoral committees in the organisation of elections.
(2) An electoral committee has the right to address state or local government bodies, administrative agencies or other agencies in writing regarding issues concerning the organisation of elections. An answer shall be provided to an inquiry made by an electoral committee within three working days as of the receipt thereof.
(1) The function of the National Electoral Committee is to ensure the uniformity of the conduct of council elections, instruct other electoral committees, exercise supervision over their activities and perform other functions arising from law.
7) to declare the voting results in a voting district, electoral district, rural municipality or city, county or the state 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.
(3) The National Electoral Committee shall issue regulations in the cases prescribed in subsection (4) of this section. The Chairman shall sign the regulations of the National Electoral Committee. Regulations enter into force on the third day after publication in the Riigi Teataja.
9) the procedure for the use of money allocated for the organisation of elections.
(5) The National Electoral Committee shall adopt a resolution in order to resolve an individual issue within the competence of the National Electoral Committee. The resolution shall be signed by the Chairman of the Committee. The resolution shall enter into force upon signature thereof.
(6) Regulations, resolutions and instructions of the National Electoral Committee shall be binding on the Electronic Voting Committee, county electoral committees, rural municipality and city electoral committees and voting district committees.
(7) The National Electoral Committee shall file a protest with the Supreme Court in order to invalidate a resolution of a rural municipality or city electoral committee by which a person was registered as a member of a council if it has become evident that the council member does not comply with the requirements prescribed in subsections 5 (5) or (6) of this Act.
(1) The function of a county electoral committee is to instruct rural municipality and city electoral committees and voting district committees, exercise supervision over their activities and perform other functions arising from this Act.
3) declare a resolution of a rural municipality or city electoral committee invalid and, if necessary, issue a precept for a new resolution to be adopted.
(3) A county electoral committee shall adopt a resolution in order to resolve an individual issue within the competence of the county electoral committee. The resolution shall be signed by the chairman of the committee. The resolution shall enter into force upon signature thereof.
(4) Resolutions and instructions of a county electoral committee shall be binding on rural municipality and city electoral committees and voting district committees.
(1) A rural municipality or city electoral committee shall be comprised of up to seven members.
(2) The members of a rural municipality or city electoral committee shall be appointed not later than on the ninetieth day before election day.
(3) The chairman of a rural municipality or city electoral committee shall be the corresponding rural municipality or city secretary. The members of the rural municipality or city electoral committee shall be appointed by the council on the proposal of the rural municipality or city secretary. The council shall also, on the proposal of the rural municipality or city secretary, appoint up to two alternate members who, during the term of the committee and in the order specified by the council, shall replace committee members whose authority is suspended or terminates.
(4) The deputy chairman of a rural municipality or city electoral committee shall be elected by the committee from among its members.
(5) Operational and clerical support shall be provided to a rural municipality or city electoral committee by the rural municipality government or city government.
(6) A rural municipality or city government shall designate and publish the location of the rural municipality or city electoral committee.
(7) A rural municipality or city electoral committee shall specify and publish its working hours. An electoral committee shall work on each working day for the period from when the time for the nomination of candidates begins to the registration of candidates.
(1) The function of a rural municipality or city electoral committee is to register the candidates nominated in compliance with the requirements of this Act, ascertain the voting and election results in the rural municipality or city, instruct voting district committees and perform other functions arising from law.
(2) A rural municipality or city electoral committee shall adopt resolutions in order to resolve individual issues within the competence of the electoral committee. The resolution shall be signed by the chairman of the committee. The resolution shall enter into force upon signature thereof.
The competence of the Electronic Voting Committee shall be provided for in § 172 of the Riigikogu Election Act.
(1) The chairman and up to eight members of a voting district committee shall be appointed by a resolution of the council not later than on the twentieth day before election day.
(2) The council shall appoint half of the members of a voting district committee on the proposal of the rural municipality or city secretary and the rest of the members from among the persons put forward by the political parties and election coalitions which participate in the elections. A political party or election coalition participating in the election may present one candidate for the position of member of a voting district committee to the rural municipality or city secretary not later than on the fortieth day before election day. The consent of the candidate is required for him or her to be presented. If political parties or election coalitions do not put forward any candidates or if the number of candidates put forward is lower than the number of members of the voting district committee appointed from among the candidates of the political parties and election coalitions, the council shall appoint the rest of the members on the proposal of the rural municipality or city secretary.
(3) On the proposal of the rural municipality or city secretary, the council shall also appoint 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.
(4) A voting district committee shall elect a deputy chairman of the committee from among its members.
(5) Operational and clerical support shall be provided to a voting district committee by the rural municipality or city government.
The functions of a voting district committee are to hold voting and ascertain voting results in the voting district and perform other functions arising from this Act.
(1) In order for elections to the council of a new local government to be held, the councils concerned shall, upon agreement, appoint the members and alternate members of the rural municipality or city electoral committee on the proposal of the relevant rural municipality or city secretaries in accordance with the provisions of subsections 19 (1) and (3) of this Act.
(2) The chairman and deputy chairman of a rural municipality or city electoral committee shall be elected by the committee from among its members. The authority of the chairman of the committee shall continue until the rural municipality or city secretary of the new local government is appointed.
(3) The councils concerned shall, upon agreement, appoint the members of the voting district committees on the proposal of the rural municipality or city secretary concerned in accordance with the provisions of subsections 21 (1) and (3) of this Act. The chairman and deputy chairman of a voting district committee shall be elected by the committee from among its members.
(4) The rural municipality or city councils concerned shall adopt the resolutions specified in this section before all the documents which are necessary in order to alter the administrative-territorial organisation are submitted to the county governor or county governors concerned.
(1) Voters shall be registered in the population register.
(2) The procedure for maintenance of the population register shall be prescribed by law.
7) 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 5 (1), (3) and (4) of this Act, have the right to participate in voting.
5) information on procedure for standing as candidate and voting.
(1) The chief processor of the population register shall organise the preparation of voter's cards and their sending to voters not later than on the twentieth day before election day. A voter's card shall not be sent to a voter if the information on his or her residence is entered in the population register on the initiative of a local government to the accuracy of the rural municipality or city, or in Tallinn to the accuracy of the city district.
7) other information concerning voting.
(21) A voter may order an electronic voter's card. To order an electronic voter's card, a voter shall submit an application to the chief processor of the population register through the Estonian information gateway. For the following elections and referendums, a voter shall be sent an electronic voter's card without the need to re-submit the application.
(3) A voter who has not received a voter's card on the fifteenth day before election day or whose voter's card contains incorrect information may file an application with the rural municipality or city secretary for clarification to be given or errors to be corrected. The rural municipality or city secretary shall promptly review the application together with the person who prepared the voter's card and shall respond to the application in writing within three working days as of receiving the application.
(1) The chief processor of the population register shall organise the preparation and printing of the lists of voters for each voting district on the basis of the information held in the population register and shall organise the delivery of the lists of voters to the voting district committees not later than by the seventh day before election day. The electronic lists of voters shall be sent to the Electronic Voting Committee not later than by the thirteenth day before election day.
(2) The basis for the preparation of the lists of voters shall be the information prescribed in subsection 24 (3) of this Act, as at the thirtieth day before election day. Upon preparation of a list of voters, any amendments made to the information specified in clauses 24 (3) 1)-6) 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) A person shall not be entered in a list of voters if he or she has been convicted of a criminal offence by a court pursuant to information held in the punishment register and if, as at the thirtieth day before election day, he or she is to be imprisoned until election day.
(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 10 (2) 5) of this Act.
(6) Voters shall be entered in a list of voters in alphabetical order according to their surname.
(7) The person who prepares a 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 electronically after the close of voting.
(1) A voter may check the correctness of information entered in the list of voters concerning himself or herself.
(2) After election day, the authorised representatives of political parties and election coalitions, and independent candidates and their authorised representatives may, in the event of justified interest, examine the lists of voters to the extent necessary and the lists may also be used for scientific purposes.
(1) If a voter finds that information entered in the list of voters concerning himself or herself contains errors, he or she shall submit an application for correction of the errors to the voting district committee which shall promptly forward it to the rural municipality or city secretary.
(2) The rural municipality or city secretary shall review the application together with the person who prepared the list of voters and shall respond to the applicant and inform the voting district committee of the results of the review.
(3) The voting district committee shall correct the error in the list of voters on the basis of a notice issued by the rural municipality or city secretary.
(4) If it is clear from the documents submitted to a voting district committee that the information entered in the list of voters contains errors, the voting district committee may correct the errors. The rural municipality or city secretary shall be promptly informed of the correction of errors.
2) a person who does not have the right to participate in voting is to be deleted from the list.
(2) In order to amend a 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 a 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 a list of voters on the basis of a notice issued by the rural municipality or city secretary.
(5) If a rural municipality or city secretary denies an application specified in subsection (2) of this section, the applicant may file an action with an administrative court of his or her residence against the act of the rural municipality or city secretary. A complaint shall be filed with the rural municipality or city secretary who shall forward the complaint to the administrative court of his or her location together with a written explanation within twenty-four hours.
(6) The administrative court shall review the action and make a judgment within three working days after the date of receipt of the action.
2) to satisfy the complaint and issue a precept to the rural municipality or city secretary to arrange that the person 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 satisfies the complaint, the person 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.
(1) Political parties which are entered in the non-profit associations and foundations register not later than on the last day for the nomination of candidates may participate in council elections.
(3) Political parties shall participate in council elections under their own name.
(4) A political party shall, upon nominating candidates, submit a written notice to the rural municipality or city 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 a 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 in a rural municipality or city.
(1) An election coalition is a civil law partnership formed by Estonian citizens and citizens of the European Union who have the right to vote, which has been formed on the basis of a written contract and which objective consists in the expression of the political interests of its members and supporters at the local government level.
(2) The name of an election coalition shall contain the word valimisliit [election coalition].
(2) An election coalition shall be presented for registration to the rural municipality or city electoral committee not earlier than on the sixtieth and not later than on the forty-fifth day before election day.
4) names, personal identification codes and signatures of Estonian citizens and citizens of the European Union who have right to vote and who formed election coalition.
(4) The name of an election coalition shall not be offensive or misleading. The name of an election coalition registered in the previous council elections may be used if more than half of the persons who formed the previous the election coalition also form the new election coalition. It is prohibited to use the name of a political party or another election coalition or a name confusingly similar thereto as the name of an election coalition.
(5) A rural municipality or city electoral committee shall register an election coalition presented for registration according to the requirements within three days after receipt of the documents set out in subsection (4) of this section.
(6) A rural municipality or city electoral committee shall not register an election coalition if the documents set out in subsection (4) of this section are not submitted within the term for presentation for registration thereof or if they contain omissions or errors or if the formation of the election coalition is prohibited arising from this Act.
(1) Every person who has the right to stand as a candidate (subsections 5 (5) and (6)) may nominate himself or herself as an independent candidate and perform the acts necessary for registration. Every person who has the right to vote pursuant to subsections 5 (1), (3) and (4) of this Act may nominate another person as an independent candidate and perform the acts necessary for registration on the basis of a corresponding authorisation document.
(2) An independent candidate may be nominated in only one electoral district.
3) submit the data provided for in subsections (2)–(3) of this section.
8) place of employment and position.
(3) A citizen of the European Union shall additionally enter data on citizenship in an application to stand as a candidate.
(4) The National Electoral Committee shall publish the information provided for in clauses (2) 1), 3), 6), 7) and 8) and subsection (3) on the website of the National Electoral Committee.
(5) A candidate shall use only his or her given name and surname as his or her name when standing as a candidate.
(6) A candidate shall sign an application to stand as a candidate.
2) the general list of candidates in a rural municipality or city, if more than one electoral district has been formed in one local government.
(2) A nominated candidate shall be included in both lists specified in subsection (1) of this section.
(3) A person may stand as a candidate in only one electoral district.
(4) A person may stand as a candidate in one list of candidates prepared by a political party or election coalition. A person who is nominated as an independent candidate shall not stand in a list of candidates.
(5) A political party or election coalition may present only one candidate list for registration in an electoral district.
(6) The order of the candidates in a list of candidates shall be specified by the political party or election coalition.
(7) All the authorised representatives of a political party or election coalition shall sign the lists of candidates in electoral districts and the general list of candidates in rural municipalities or cities.
(1) The nomination of candidates shall begin on the sixtieth day before election day. A political party may put forward its candidates after submission of a notice specified in subsection 31 (4) of this Act and an election coalition may put forward its candidates after registration of the election coalition.
(2) The nomination of candidates shall end at 6 p.m. on the fortieth day before election day.
3) an application to stand as a candidate of each candidate.
2) an application to stand as a candidate.
(1) Rural municipality and city electoral committees shall maintain records concerning the nomination of candidates.
(2) The registration documentation of candidates shall be delivered by an authorised representative of the political party or election coalition. 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 rural municipality or city 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 the documents shall propose to the person submitting 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 submitted documents shall be returned.
(4) If a political party, an election coalition or an independent candidate wishes to make amendments to the registration documents of candidates, the rural municipality or city electoral committee shall return all the submitted documents and, upon re-submission thereof, the documents are 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 rural municipality or city electoral committee shall return an application to stand as a candidate to him or her and inform an authorised representative of the political party, election coalition or independent candidate thereof. The political party or election coalition need not re-submit the registration documentation of candidates.
(6) If a political party, an election coalition or an independent candidate submits documents before 6 p.m. on the fortieth 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 submitted documents 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, election coalition or independent candidate shall perform the required acts not later than before 6 p.m. on the thirty-eighth day before election day.
(1) The rural municipality or city electoral committee shall, after expiry of the term for the nomination of candidates but not later than on the thirty-fifth 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 be assigned to the candidates by lists of political parties and independent candidates. Independent candidates shall be assigned a registration number after each list of candidates of political parties and election coalitions has been assigned a registration number. The order in which numbers are assigned to the political parties, election coalitions and independent candidates shall be decided by lot.
3) a candidate who does not comply with the requirements prescribed in subsections 5 (5) and (6) of this Act.
(4) A rural municipality or city 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 5 (5) or (6) of this Act.
(6) A rural municipality or city 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 5 (5) and (6) of this Act or if the resolution not to register the candidate is revoked by a resolution of a county electoral committee or the National Electoral Committee or a judgment of the Supreme Court.
(7) A resolution on registration may be revoked and a person who was not registered may be registered not later than by the thirteenth day before election day.
(1) If the number of candidates nominated in an electoral district is equal to or less than the number of mandates in the district, the rural municipality or city electoral committee shall propose that the political parties and the election coalitions registered in the rural municipality or city supplementarily nominate candidates and that the voters supplementarily nominate independent candidates. Candidates who are supplementarily nominated shall be registered together with the candidates initially nominated not later than on the fifteenth day before election day.
(2) The requirements of §§ 35–37 of this Act shall be observed in the supplementary nomination and the registration of candidates.
(3) If, on the fifteenth day before election day, the number of candidates nominated in an electoral district is equal to or less than the number of mandates in the district, the rural municipality or city electoral committee shall adopt a resolution concerning postponement of the elections for up to one month in the rural municipality or city. In such case, the rural municipality or city electoral committee shall at the same time prepare and publish a schedule for holding the elections.
(4) In the event of the postponement of elections, the provisions of §§ 46–51 and Chapter 71 of the Act do not apply.
(1) After the registration of candidates, the rural municipality or city electoral committee shall prepare the consolidated list of candidates in the electoral district.
(2) Candidates shall be entered in the consolidated list of candidates in an electoral district by the lists of candidates of political parties and election coalitions in the electoral district in the order of their registration numbers. The name of the political party or election coalition which puts forward the list shall be indicated at the top of the list of candidates in the electoral district. Independent candidates shall be entered in the consolidated list of candidates in an electoral district in the order of their registration numbers after the lists of candidates of political parties and election coalitions in the electoral district.
(3) The registration number and name of each candidate shall be set out in the consolidated list of candidates in an electoral district. If several candidates with the same name stand in one electoral district, their dates of birth shall also be set out in the consolidated list.
(4) A rural municipality or city electoral committee shall forward the consolidated lists of candidates in the electoral district and the general lists of candidates in a rural municipality or a city. The National Electoral Committee shall prepare the list of candidates to all councils.
(5) A rural municipality or city electoral committee shall notify the National Electoral Committee promptly of all corrections and amendments to the consolidated list of candidates in the rural municipality or city or the general list of candidates in the rural municipality or city. The National Electoral Committee shall notify other electoral committees of such corrections and amendments. The electoral committees shall make the corresponding corrections and amendments to the consolidated list of candidates to all councils. The lists of candidates shall not be amended after the thirteenth day before election day.
(1) Voting in a voting district shall be held at a polling place designated by the rural municipality or city government. Different polling places may be designated for voting on election day and on advance voting days.
(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 in the electoral district and the general list of candidates in the rural municipality or city shall be posted in the polling place.
(3) Order in a polling place shall be maintained by the voting district committee. Lawful oral orders given by members of the voting district committee are mandatory for all persons in the polling place.
(1) A voting booth shall enable secret ballot.
(2) A voting booth shall have a table and a writing instrument. The consolidated list of candidates in the electoral district shall be posted on the wall of the voting booth.
(1) Voting district committees shall inspect and seal ballot boxes before voting opens. Ballot boxes sealed before the start of advance voting shall be used for advance voting only.
(2) The opening of a ballot box shall be covered. It shall be opened only to deposit a ballot paper in the box.
(3) On advance voting days, voting district committees shall seal the openings of the ballot boxes used for advance voting after the close of voting.
(1) The National Electoral Committee shall establish the standard format of the ballot paper.
(2) The National Electoral Committee shall organise the preparation and delivery of ballot papers to the voting district committees.
(3) After the receipt of ballot papers, a voting district committee shall put an impression of the seal of the voting district committee to the ballot papers.
(1) Voting on election day shall open at 9 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
3) from the tenth day to the fourth day before election day by electronic means. Voting shall open at 9 a.m. on the tenth day before election day and shall last twenty-four hours a day until the close of voting at 6 p.m. on the fourth day before election day.
(3) Home voting shall be held on election day in the cases prescribed by this Act.
(1) A voter shall vote in the voting district in which he or she is entered in the list of voters, except in the cases prescribed in §§ 47-51 and Chapter 71 of this Act.
(2) In order to receive a ballot paper, a voter shall present an identity document to the voting district committee. The voter shall sign the list of voters against receipt of the ballot paper.
(3) The voter shall complete the ballot paper in a voting booth.
(4) The voter shall write the registration number of the candidate in the electoral district of his or her residence 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 he or she is unable to complete the ballot paper himself or herself due to a physical disability, another voter, but not a candidate in the election district of his or her residence, may do so at his or her request and in his or her presence.
(6) The voter shall not take the ballot paper out of the polling place. If the voter spoils the ballot paper, he or she has the right to receive another ballot paper from the voting district committee. The voter shall return the spoilt or unused ballot paper to the voting district committee.
(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 to the outside of the folded ballot paper.
(8) The voter shall deposit the ballot paper in the ballot box himself or herself. If a voter, due to physical disability, is unable to deposit the ballot paper in the ballot box himself or herself, another voter may do so at his or her request in the presence of the voter.
(1) Advance voting shall be held pursuant to the procedure prescribed in § 45 of this Act.
(2) A voter entered in the list of voters who has attained 18 years of age by the day of the advance voting has the right to vote at the advance voting.
(3) At least three members of a voting district committee shall hold the advance voting.
(4) A member of the voting district committee shall mark the date of voting in the list of voters concerning voters who have voted.
(5) The voting district committee shall keep the ballot box and voting documents on advance voting days and the following days such that only members of the voting district committee have access to these.
(1) On advance voting days (subsection 44 (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 44 (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 (§ 49) or in custodial institutions, hospitals and twenty-four hour social welfare institutions (§ 51).
(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 44 (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.
(1) A voter who wishes to vote in a polling place outside the voting district of his or her residence shall present an identity document to a member of the voting district committee and he or she shall be entered in the list of voters voting outside the voting district of their residence.
(2) The member of the voting district committee shall issue to the voter a ballot paper, two envelopes and the consolidated list of candidates in the electoral district of the residence of 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 45 (3)-(6) of this Act.
(4) 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.
(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 47 (2) of this Act. The voting district committee shall register the application. The rural municipality or city government shall register the application and forward it to the corresponding voting district committee.
(2) Voting shall be organised by at least two members of the voting district committee pursuant to the provisions of subsections 45 (4)-(6) and subsections 48 (1), (2) and (4) of this Act.
(1) Voting in custodial institutions, hospitals and twenty-four hour social welfare institutions shall be held on the days prescribed in clause 44 (2) 2) of this Act.
(2) The administration of a custodial institution, hospital and twenty-four hour social welfare institution shall submit an application for voting to be held to the voting district committee prescribed in subsection 47 (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 45 (4)–(6) and subsections 48 (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, hospital and twenty-four hour social welfare institution shall be taken into account pursuant to the provisions of § 53 of this Act.
(1) If a voter is unable to vote at a polling place due to his or her state of health or for another good reason, he or she may apply to vote at home.
(2) In order to vote at home, a voter shall submit a written application to the rural municipality or city government or to the voting district committee of his or her residence by 2 p.m. on election day and the voting district committee shall register the application. If the application is submitted to the rural municipality or city government, the rural municipality or city government shall register the application and forward it to the corresponding voting district committee.
(21) A voter may submit an application to vote at home also by phone to the voting district committee of his or her residence from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on election day. The voting district committee shall register the application.
5) reason for voting at home.
(23) If the voting district committee finds that the application is unsubstantiated, the committee shall notify the applicant of the circumstances for dismissal of the application.
(3) Home voting shall be organised by at least two members of the voting district committee pursuant to the provisions of subsections 45 (1), (2), (4), (5), (6) and (8) of this Act.
(4) A home voter shall sign the list of home voters against the receipt of a ballot paper.
(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 county and by the cities of Tallinn and Tartu and shall forward the envelopes to the electoral committee of the county of its location.
(2) A county electoral committee shall forward the envelopes with ballot papers specified in subsection (1) of this section to the appropriate county electoral committees through the National Electoral Committee not later than on the second day before election day.
(3) A county electoral committee shall forward the envelopes with ballot papers received from other county electoral committees pursuant to the procedure prescribed in subsection (2) of this section to the relevant voting district committees not later than on the day preceding election day.
(4) After receipt of the envelopes with ballot papers pursuant to the procedure prescribed in subsection (3) of this section, the voting district committee shall check that each voter is entered in the list of voters of the voting district and that he or she has not voted more than once. At least three members of a voting district committee must be present when ballot papers are checked.
(5) If a voter is not entered in the list of voters of the voting district or he or she has voted more than once outside the voting district of his or her residence, the voting district committee shall not take into account any of the ballot papers of the voter.
(6) If the voter has voted once, a member of the voting district committee shall make a notation in the list of voters concerning voting at the advance voting.
(7) After performing the acts prescribed in subsections (4), (5) and (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 44 (2) 3) of this Act and pursuant to the procedure provided for in Chapter 71 of the Riigikogu Election Act.
(1) A voting district committee shall open the ballot boxes after the close of voting. More than one-half of the members of the voting district committee shall be present at the opening.
(2) Before the ballot boxes are opened, the voting district committee shall count and cancel all ballot papers that were not issued to voters and all spoiled ballot papers returned by voters. Ballot papers shall be cancelled by cutting off a corner of the ballot paper.
(3) Before the ballot boxes are opened, the voting district committee shall use the lists of voters to verify the number of voters entered in the lists and count the signatures in the lists of voters given in receipt of a ballot paper to verify the number of voters who were given a ballot paper, and shall enter these numbers 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.
(5) The impression of the seal of the voting district committee shall be put on the outside of ballot papers of home voters, and the ballot papers shall be placed among the ballot papers of voters who voted at the polling place.
(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 on election day.
(7) On the basis of the ballot papers in the ballot box, the voting district committee shall verify the number of persons who participated in the voting, the number of invalid ballot papers and the number of votes cast for candidates, political parties and election coalitions, and shall enter these numbers in a standard format record.
5) the candidate registration number written on the ballot paper is illegible.
(9) If no candidate registration number has been written on a ballot paper but the will of the voter is clear and unambiguous, the ballot paper is deemed to be valid.
(10) A standard format record shall be prepared concerning the ascertaining of the voting results. The chairman of the committee shall sign the record. The date and time of preparation of the record shall be indicated in the record.
(11) After ascertaining of the voting results, valid ballot papers shall be packed by candidate and invalid ballot papers, ballot papers which were not issued to voters and spoiled ballot papers returned by voters shall be packaged in separate packets. The voting district from which the ballot papers originate and the type and number of ballot papers in the packet shall be noted on each packet. The chairman of the voting district committee shall sign the notation.
(12) Ballot papers, lists of voters, records concerning voting results and any dissenting opinions of members of the committee shall be promptly delivered to the rural municipality or city electoral committee.
(13) Voting results shall be ascertained publicly in a voting district committee.
(1) The Electronic Voting Committee shall verify the results of electronic voting on election day after 7 p.m.
(2) At least one-half of the members of the Electronic Voting Committee and the National Electoral Committee, including the chairmen or deputy chairmen of the committees, shall be present at the counting of votes.
2) the Electronic Voting Committee shall separate the electronic votes subject to counting from the personal data of the voters.
(4) The National Electoral Committee shall open the electronic votes using the vote-opening key provided for in subsection 483 (3) of the Riigikogu Election Act.
4) the number of electronic votes cast for candidates, political parties and election coalitions.
(6) An electronic vote which does not contain the registration number of the candidate in the electoral district of the residence of the voter 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. Persons who are present at the counting of votes shall follow the oral orders of the members of the Electronic Voting Committee. Persons who are present at the counting of votes shall not bring any means of communication into the room where the votes are counted or leave the room before 8 p.m.
(8) Voting results shall not be disclosed before 8 p.m.
(9) The chairman of the Electronic Voting Committee shall sign the results of the electronic voting.
(10) The chairman of the Electronic Voting Committee shall enter the voting results in the election information system immediately.
(1) On the basis of the records received from the voting district committees and the voting results of voters who voted electronically, the rural municipality or city 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, political parties and election coalitions in each electoral district. 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 rural municipality or city 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 rural municipality or city electoral committee shall adopt a decision concerning the final voting results.
(3) A rural municipality or city electoral committee shall prepare a standard format record concerning the ascertaining of the voting results in the rural municipality or city which shall be signed by the chairman of the committee. The date and time of preparation of the record shall be indicated therein.
(5) Voting results shall be ascertained in a rural municipality or city electoral committee in public.
(1) A simple quota shall be calculated for an electoral district, which shall be obtained by dividing the number of valid votes cast in the electoral district by the number of mandates in the district.
(2) A candidate for whom the number of votes cast exceeds or equals the simple quota is elected.
(3) Mandates which are not distributed in the electoral district on the basis of a simple quota shall be distributed as list mandates between the political parties and election coalitions whose candidates collectively receive at least 5 per cent of the votes in the corresponding rural municipality or city.
(4) In order to distribute list mandates, the candidates shall be ranked in the list of candidates in an electoral district according to the number of votes cast for each candidate. If at least two candidates receive an equal number of votes, the candidate who is further towards the bottom of the list shall be ranked ahead. The votes cast for candidates standing in the list of candidates of the same political party or election coalition in an electoral district shall be totalled.
(5) The list mandates shall be distributed using the d'Hondt distribution method with the distribution series of 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. In calculating the comparative figure for each political party or election coalition, as many first elements of the series shall be omitted as the number of mandates obtained by the political party or election coalition in the corresponding electoral district on the basis of the simple quota. If the comparative figures of at least two political parties or election coalitions are equal, the mandate shall be received by the political party or election coalition whose candidates were positioned further toward the bottom in the consolidated list of candidates.
(6) The candidate who is further towards the top of the list shall be given the list mandate in a list of candidates in an electoral district where the candidates are re-ranked (subsection (4)). Upon the distribution of mandates, the candidates who were elected on the basis of a simple quota shall be omitted.
(7) No political party or election coalition shall be given more mandates than there are candidates in the list of candidates in an electoral district.
(8) If a candidate of a political party or election coalition dies after the start of advance voting, the votes cast for him or her shall be retained by that political party or election coalition. If an independent candidate dies after the start of advance voting, the votes cast for him or her shall not be taken into account in the ascertaining of the election results.
(9) If only independent candidates are in the consolidated list of candidates in an electoral district, the candidates who receive the greatest number of votes shall be elected. If at least two candidates receive an equal number of votes, the candidate who was positioned further toward the bottom in the consolidated list of candidates in an electoral district shall be elected.
(10) If, after the distribution of mandates on the basis of a simple quota and as list mandates, some of the mandates have not been distributed, the candidates who receive the greatest number of votes from among the remaining candidates shall be elected.
(10) A rural municipality or city 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.
(12) Election results shall be ascertained in a rural municipality or city electoral committee in public.
(1) A simple quota shall be calculated for each electoral district, which shall be obtained by dividing the number of valid votes cast in the electoral district by the number of mandates in the district.
(3) In the lists of candidates of those political parties or election coalitions in an electoral district whose candidates receive at least 5 per cent of the votes in a rural municipality or city, the candidates shall be ranked according to the number of votes cast for each candidate. The votes cast for candidates standing in the list of candidates of the same political party or election coalition in an electoral district shall be totalled. A political party or an election coalition shall be given as many mandates as the number of times by which the number of votes it receives in the electoral district exceeds the simple quota. Mandates obtained pursuant to subsection (2) of this section are also deemed to be mandates of a political party or election coalition. The candidates who are further towards the top of the list shall be elected. If at least two candidates receive an equal number of votes, the candidate who is further towards the top of the general list of candidates in a rural municipality or city shall be elected.
(4) Mandates which are not distributed in electoral districts on the basis of a simple quota shall be distributed as compensation mandates between the political parties or election coalitions whose candidates collectively receive at least 5 per cent of the votes in the rural municipality or city.
(5) Compensation mandates shall be distributed using the d'Hondt distribution method with the distribution series of 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. In calculating the comparative figure for each political party or election coalition, as many first elements of the series shall be omitted as the number of mandates obtained by the political party or election coalition in the electoral districts. If the comparative figures of at least two political parties or election coalitions are equal, the mandate shall be received by the political party or election coalition whose candidates were positioned further toward the bottom in the consolidated list of candidates.
(6) In the general list of candidates in the rural municipality or city, the candidate who is further towards the top of the list shall be given a compensation mandate. Upon the distribution of mandates, the candidates who were elected in electoral districts shall be omitted.
(7) In the event of an equal number of votes, the candidate who is further towards the top of the submitted list shall be given a compensation mandate.
(8) No political party or election coalition shall be given more mandates than there are candidates in its list of candidates.
(9) If a candidate of a political party or election coalition dies after the start of advance voting, the votes cast for him or her shall be retained by that political party or election coalition. 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.
(11) Election results shall be ascertained in a rural municipality or city electoral committee in public.
(1) Supplementary elections shall be held in accordance with this Act, taking into account the specifications provided for in this Chapter.
(2) Persons who meet the requirements prescribed in subsections 5 (1)-(4) of this Act and whose permanent residence, i.e. residence the address details of which have been entered in the population register, is located in the rural municipality or city on the date elections are declared may participate in voting in supplementary elections.
(3) Persons who meet the requirements prescribed in subsections 5 (5) and (6) of this Act and whose permanent residence, i.e. residence the address details of which have been entered in the population register, is located in the rural municipality or city on the date elections are declared may stand as candidates in supplementary elections.
(4) A new rural municipality or city electoral committee or new voting district committees shall not be formed for supplementary elections.
(5) In the event of supplementary elections, a total of at least fifteen days shall be provided for the nomination and registration of candidates.
(6) If there are not enough funds in the budget of a rural municipality or city to prepare and hold supplementary elections, the expenditure relating to the elections shall be covered from the state budget at the request of and to the extent indicated by the county governor. An allocation received from the state budget in order to hold supplementary elections shall be withheld from the budget of the following year of the corresponding rural municipality or city. The Government of the Republic has the right to reduce the repayable amount or to exempt the rural municipality or city from the obligation to repay.
(7) The provisions of §§ 46–51 and Chapter 71 of this Act do not apply to supplementary elections.
(1) In the case provided for in subsection 4 (2) of this Act, the elections of the council of the new local government shall be held in accordance with this Act, taking into account the specifications provided for in this Chapter.
(2) Persons who meet the requirements prescribed in subsections 5 (1)-(4) of this Act and whose permanent residence, i.e. residence the address details of which have been entered in the population register, is located within the territory of the merging local government, may participate in voting in elections of the council of the new local government.
(3) Persons who meet the requirements prescribed in subsections 5 (5) and (6) of this Act and whose permanent residence, i.e. residence the address details of which have been entered in the population register, is located within the territory of the merging local government on the date elections are declared may stand as candidates in elections of the council of the new local government.
(4) A rural municipality or city electoral committee shall, by a resolution thereof and with the approval of the National Electoral Committee, establish the terms for acts regarding elections and publish them within three days as of the date on which the elections are declared.
(5) In the event of elections of the council of a new local government., a total of at least twenty-five days shall be provided for the nomination and registration of candidates.
(6) The provisions of §§ 47, 48 and Chapter 71 of this Act do not apply to the elections of the council of a new local government. Advance voting held outside the electoral district of residence at the location of voters (§ 49) and voting in custodial institutions (§ 51) shall be held only within the territory of the merging local government. A rural municipality or city government shall designate a voting district committee which shall hold voting at the location of voters or in custodial institutions.
(1) Expenses which are incurred in the course of the organisation of elections by a rural municipality or city government, rural municipality or city electoral committee and voting district committee shall be covered from the budget of the rural municipality or city.
(2) Expenses incurred by the National Electoral Committee and county electoral committees shall be covered from the state budget.
(3) The National Electoral Committee shall prepare draft budgets of the National Electoral Committee and county electoral committees for election expenditure.
(4) 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.
(5) 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.
For the purposes of this Act, a complaint is a request for a resolution of an electoral committee to be reviewed and declared invalid or for an act of an electoral committee to be declared unlawful which is filed with a county electoral committee or the National Electoral Committee and is prepared according to the requirements of this Act.
(2) A complaint shall be signed by the complainant. A complaint filed by a political party or election coalition shall be signed by an authorised representative of the political party or election coalition.
(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 §§ 64 and 65 of this Act, the body with which the complaint is filed may refuse to review the complaint and may return it to the complainant.
(1) If an individual, a candidate, an election coalition or a political party (hereinafter interested person) finds that an act of a voting district committee or a resolution or act of a rural municipality or city electoral committee violates the rights thereof, 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 resolution or act prescribed in subsection (1) of this section being adopted or performed.
(3) The county electoral committee shall review the complaint and adopt a resolution thereon within five working days as of receipt of the complaint. The county electoral committee shall promptly communicate the resolution to the complainant.
(4) The complaint shall be reviewed in public. The county electoral committee shall notify the complainant of the time and place of review of the complaint.
3) to satisfy the complaint partially.
3) to make a proposal to the National Electoral Committee to declare the voting results in the 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.
(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 specified in subsection 64 (1) of this Act is dismissed by a county electoral committee may file a complaint with the National Electoral Committee.
(2) The complaint shall be filed with the county electoral committee which adopted the resolution or performed the act against which the complaint is filed or which reviewed the complaint filed against an act within three days as of the resolution or act prescribed in subsection (1) of this section being adopted or performed. The county electoral committee shall forward the complaint together with its written explanation promptly to the National Electoral Committee.
(21) 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.
(3) The National Electoral Committee shall review the complaint and shall adopt a resolution within five working days as of receipt of the complaint. The National Electoral Committee shall promptly communicate the resolution to the complainant.
(4) 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.
(6) If the National Electoral Committee satisfies the complaint, the Committee may decide to perform the acts listed in subsection 17 (2) of this Act.
(1) If an interested person finds that a resolution or act of a voting district committee or the Electronic Voting Committee, a rural municipality or city electoral 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.
(2) An appeal against a resolution or act of an electoral committee may be filed with the Supreme Court after adjudication of the matter in the National Electoral Committee. The appeal shall be filed with the Supreme Court through the National Electoral Committee within three days as of the resolution or act of the National Electoral Committee being announced or performed.
(1) If the National Electoral Committee or the Supreme Court has declared the voting results in a voting district, electoral district, rural municipality or city invalid, the National Electoral Committee shall determine a new date for the election and a repeat vote shall be held in the corresponding voting districts, electoral districts, rural municipalities or cities. The results of council elections shall be ascertained after the results of the repeat vote become clear.
(11) A repeat vote shall not be held, if the National Electoral Committee has declared the results of electronic voting invalid and has invited the voters who voted using electronic means to vote on election day pursuant to the procedure prescribed in § 45 or 52 of this Act.
(2) The provisions of §§ 46-51 and Chapter 71 of this Act do not apply to a repeat vote.
(1) Failure to submit information or materials for the organisation of elections or failure to comply with a resolution of an electoral committee is punishable by a fine of up to 20 fine units.
(3) Police authority shall conduct extra-judicial proceedings in the matters of misdemeanours provided for in subsection (1) of this section.
is punishable by a fine of up to 20 fine units.
(1) The rural municipality or city electoral committee shall, by a resolution, register the elected members of a council after election day if the term for filing complaints and appeals with the National Electoral Committee and the Supreme Court has expired or if final resolutions have been adopted in respect of such complaints and appeals.
(2) In the case prescribed in § 67 of this Act, the rural municipality or city electoral committee shall, by a resolution, register the elected members of the council after the repeat vote, taking into consideration the provisions of subsection (1) of this section.
(3) The election results are deemed to be declared and the authority of a member of a council shall commence on the date following the publication of the resolution of the rural municipality or city electoral committee set out in subsection (1) or (2) of this section.
(31) If a candidate who is elected holds an office at the time of the declaration of the election results, which is incompatible with the office of a council member, he or she must notify the rural municipality or city electoral committee, within five working days after the date of declaration of election results, whether he or she wishes to participate in the work of the local government council or wishes to continue in his or her current office and decline the mandate.
(4) The authority of members of a council elected at supplementary elections or elections of council of a new local government in the case provided for in subsection 4 (2) of this Act shall terminate at the same time as the authority of members of the council elected at the time prescribed in § 2 of this Act.
(5) The rural municipality or city electoral committee shall convene the elected council not later than on the seventh day after the declaration of the election results.
(1) The rural municipality or city electoral committee shall register the alternate members of a council by a resolution. The rural municipality or city electoral committee shall forward the resolution to the chairman of the council.
(2) The alternate members shall be registered by electoral district to the political parties and election coalitions whose candidates have collectively received at least 5 per cent of the valid votes in the corresponding rural municipality or city. If only independent candidates are in the consolidated list of candidates in an electoral district, the unelected independent candidates who ran as candidates in the electoral district shall be registered as alternate members.
(3) Candidates shall be registered, by each electoral district, to political parties and election coalitions as alternate members for candidates who were elected in electoral districts and shall be ranked according to the number of votes received. If candidates receive an equal number of votes from voters, the candidate who was positioned further towards the bottom of the list of candidates in the electoral district of a political party or election coalition shall be positioned ahead.
(4) Unelected candidates shall be registered as alternate members for candidates who were elected on the basis of compensation mandates in the order specified in the general list of the political party or election coalition in a rural municipality or city.
(1) The table of comparative figures of political parties and election coalitions which is approved by a resolution of the relevant rural municipality or city electoral committee shall be the basis for the distribution of additional mandates. The rural municipality or city electoral committee shall forward the resolution to the chairman of the council.
(2) The table of comparative figures shall set out the comparative figures obtained for a political party or election coalition in size order, starting from the comparative figure which was the first not to be taken into account upon distribution of the list mandates(subsection 56 (5)) or upon distribution of compensation mandates in a local government with more than one electoral district (subsection 561 (5)).
(3) If at least two comparative figures are equal, the comparative figure of the political party or election coalition which received more votes from voters shall receive a higher ranking. If the number of votes cast to political parties or election coalitions is equal, the political party or election coalition whose candidates were positioned further toward the bottom in the consolidated list of candidates shall rank higher.
(1) The rural municipality or city 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 rural municipality or city electoral committee shall organise the destruction of the ballot papers and document it.
(2) The Electronic Voting Committee shall preserve the electronic votes 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 committee shall destroy the electronic votes, personal data of the voters contained in the electronic voting system and the key for opening the electronic votes.
(3) The records of voting results and election results shall be preserved permanently. Lists of voters shall be preserved permanently in the National Archives.
(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 17 (4) 5) of this Act.
(1) This Act enters into force on the tenth day following the date of publication of this Act in Riigi Teataja.
(2) Section 71 and clause 72 2) enter into force on 17 October 2005.
(3) Clause 72 1) enters into force on 21 October 2002.
(4) The provisions of subsections 5 (1) and (5), subsections 14 (1) and (2), clause 17 (4) 3), § 25, subsection 311 (1) and clause 311 (3) 4) concerning citizens of the European Union enter into force upon Estonia's accession to the European Union.

References: § 74
 § 2
 § 2
 § 2
 § 10
 § 172
 § 45
 § 53
 § 45
 § 67
 § 2
 § 25