Source: https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/ee/510032016002/consolide
Timestamp: 2017-09-26 05:35:26
Document Index: 303785921

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 4', '§ 11', '§ 12', '§ 13', '§ 14', '§ 15', '§ 16', '§ 17', '§ 18', '§ 19', '§ 20', '§ 201', '§ 21', '§ 22', '§ 23', '§ 50', '§ 531', '§ 541', '§ 56', '§ 561', '§ 571', '§ 59', '§ 591', '§ 60', '§ 61', '§ 62', '§ 63', '§ 64', '§ 65', '§ 66', '§ 4', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 11', '§ 10', '§ 12', '§ 13', '§ 14', '§ 15', '§ 16', '§ 17', '§ 18', '§ 19', '§ 20', '§ 201', '§ 172', '§ 21', '§ 22', '§ 23', '§ 21', '§ 21', '§ 11', '§ 50', '§ 531', '§ 541', '§ 56', '§ 561', '§ 571', '§ 47', '§ 49', '§ 51', '§ 59', '§ 591', '§ 60', '§ 61', '§ 62', '§ 63', '§ 64', '§ 64', '§ 65', '§ 66', '§ 45', '§ 46', '§ 2']

Local Government Council Election Act – Riigi Teataja
Local Government Council Election Act
Local Government Council Election Act - content
§ 4 Time of elections for council of new local government
3 NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND ELECTORAL DISTRICTS AND VOTING DISTRICTS
§ 11 Acts in event of election to council of new local government
4 ELECTORAL COMMITTEES
§ 12 Types of electoral committees
§ 13 Term of authority of electoral committees
§ 14 Member of electoral committee
§ 15 Working procedures of electoral committee
§ 16 Assistance to electoral committee
§ 17 Competence of National Electoral Committee
§ 18 Competence of county electoral committee
§ 19 Formation of rural municipality or city electoral committee
§ 20 Competence of rural municipality or city electoral committee
§ 201 Competence of Electronic Voting Committee
§ 21 Formation of voting district committee
§ 22 Competence of voting district committee
§ 23 Acts in event of election to council of new local government
§ 50 Electronic voting
§ 531 Taking votes cast using electronic means into account
§ 541 Counting of votes cast at advance voting
§ 56 Ascertaining of election results in local government with one electoral district
§ 561 Ascertaining of election results in local government with more than one electoral district
§ 571 Specifications of elections of council of new local government held during period between regular elections
§ 59 Report on financing of election campaign of political party, election coalition or independent candidate
§ 591 Funds of election coalition
§ 60 Funds used for election campaign
§ 61 Expenditure for election campaign
§ 62 Definition of complaint
§ 63 Requirements for complaints
§ 64 Procedure for filing complaint against act of voting district committee or resolution or act of rural municipality or city electoral committee and for review of complaint
§ 65 Procedure for filing complaint against resolution or act of county electoral committee or act of Electronic Voting Committee and for review of complaint
§ 66 Filing of complaints against resolutions or acts of electoral committees
(1) The elections of members of local government councils (hereinafter councils) shall be free, general, uniform and direct. Voting shall be secret.
(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.
§ 4. Time of elections for council of new local government
(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.
(4) A person who has been convicted by a court and is serving a sentence in a penal institution shall not participate in voting.
Chapter 3 NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND ELECTORAL DISTRICTS AND VOTING DISTRICTS
(2) A council shall have at least seven members. The number of members shall be determined on the basis of the information held in the population register, according to the number of residents in the rural municipality or city as at 1 June of the election year as follows:
1) a council of not less than 13 members for more than 2000 residents;
2) a council of not less than 17 members for more than 5000 residents;
3) a council of not less than 21 members for more than 10,000 residents;
4) a council of not less than 31 members for more than 50,000 residents;
5) a council of not less than 79 members for more than 300,000 residents.
(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.
(2) More than one electoral district may be formed:
1) in local governments with more than 50,000 residents;
2) in local governments which are formed due to a merger or division during the past two election cycles;
21) in local governments to be formed as a result of a merger;
3) in local governments in which rural municipality or city districts have been formed.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(2) Voting districts shall be formed by a regulation of the rural municipality or city government, which shall set out:
1) the numeration of the voting districts;
2) the boundaries of the voting districts;
3) the locations of polling places;
4) at least one voting district where voters can vote outside the voting district of their residence (subsection 47 (2));
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.
§ 11. Acts in event of election to council of new local government
(1) In order for elections of a new local government to be held, the councils concerned shall, upon agreement, perform the following acts:
(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.
Chapter 4 ELECTORAL COMMITTEES
§ 12. Types of electoral committees
(1) Council elections are organised by the following electoral committees:
1) the National Electoral Committee;
2) county electoral committees;
3) rural municipality and city electoral committees;
4) voting district committees;
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.
§ 13. Term of authority of electoral committees
(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.
§ 14. Member of electoral committee
(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.
(4) The authority of a member of an electoral committee shall terminate prematurely:
1) if it becomes evident that he or she does not have the right vote pursuant to subsections 5 (1) – (4) of this Act;
2) due to his or her resignation;
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.
(6) The authority of a member of an electoral committee shall be suspended if he or she:
1) forms an election coalition or becomes an authorised representative of a political party, election coalition or an independent candidate;
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.
(8) The authority of a member of an electoral committee shall be restored:
1) in the case prescribed in clause (6) 1) of this section, as of the date when the election results are announced;
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.
§ 15. Working procedures of 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.
§ 16. Assistance to electoral committee
(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.
§ 17. Competence of National Electoral Committee
(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.
(2) The National Electoral Committee has the right:
1) to issue precepts for the elimination of deficiencies of an act of a county electoral committee, the Electronic Voting Committee, rural municipality or city electoral committee or voting district committee or a resolution of a county electoral committee or rural municipality or city electoral committee;
2) to suspend or terminate the authority of a member of a voting district committee, rural municipality or city electoral committee, the Electronic Voting Committee or county electoral committee, if he or she has violated the Local Government Council Election Act, regulations of the National Electoral Committee or instructions of a superior electoral committee;
2) to suspend an act of a county electoral committee, the Electronic Voting Committee, rural municipality or city electoral committee or voting district committee or the validity of a resolution of a county electoral committee or rural municipality or city electoral committee;
4) to repeal a resolution of county electoral committee or rural municipality or city electoral committee or to declare an act of a voting district committee, rural municipality or city electoral committee, the Electronic Voting Committee or county electoral committee unlawful and to issue a precept to the voting district committee, rural municipality or city electoral committee, the Electronic Voting Committee or county electoral committee for elimination of the violation of law;
5) not to start electronic voting or to suspend or terminate electronic voting if the security or reliability of the electronic voting system cannot be ensured in such way that electronic voting could be conducted pursuant to the requirements of this Act;
6) to repeal, in case of suspension or termination of electronic voting, the votes given by electronic means in full or partially;
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.
(4) The National Electoral Committee shall establish the following by a regulation:
1) the procedure for the presentation of candidates for registration and for the registration of candidates;
11) the standard format of applications for the registration of election coalitions;
2) the standard format of applications for the registration of candidates, the standard format of the list of candidates in an electoral district, the standard format of the lists of candidates in a rural municipality or city and the standard format of applications to stand as a candidate;
3) the standard format of the notices of the right to vote sent to citizens of the European Union;
4) the standard format of lists of voters;
5) the procedure for the holding of voting and ascertaining of voting results and election results;
6) the standard format of ballot papers;
7) the standard format of the records of voting results and election results;
8) the status of observer;
9) the procedure for the use of money allocated for the organisation of elections.
10) [Repealed - RT I 2004, 6, 32 - entry into force 14.02.2004]
(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.
§ 18. Competence of county electoral committee
(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.
(2) A county electoral committee has the right to:
1) issue precepts for the elimination of deficiencies of an act of a rural municipality or city electoral committee or voting district committee or a resolution of a rural municipality or city electoral committee;
2) suspend an act of a rural municipality or city electoral committee or voting district committee or the validity of a resolution of a rural municipality or city electoral committee;
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.
§ 19. Formation of rural municipality or city electoral committee
(1) A rural municipality or city electoral committee shall be comprised of up to seven members.
(3) The chairman of a rural municipality or city electoral committee shall be the corresponding rural municipality or city secretary. If a substitute is appointed for the time of the absence of a rural municipality or city secretary based on subsection 55 (5) of the Local Government Organisation Act, a substitute for a rural municipality or city secretary shall perform the functions of the chairman of a rural municipality or city electoral committee. 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.
§ 20. Competence of rural municipality or city electoral committee
(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.
§ 201. Competence of Electronic Voting Committee
The competence of the Electronic Voting Committee shall be provided for in § 172 of the Riigikogu Election Act.
§ 21. Formation of voting district committee
(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.
§ 22. Competence of voting district committee
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.
§ 23. Acts in event of election to council of new local government
(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) In order for elections to the council of a new local government to be held, a rural municipality or city electoral committee shall appoint the members and alternate members of a voting district committee pursuant to the provisions of § 21 of this Act. In such case, the resolutions of the council provided for in § 21 of this Act shall be adopted by a rural municipality or city electoral committee and the acts of a rural municipality or city secretary shall be performed by the chairman of a rural municipality or city electoral committee.
(4) The rural municipality or city councils concerned shall adopt the resolutions specified in subsection (1) of 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.
(3) Voters shall be registered on the basis of the following information entered in the population register:
5) in case of an alien, holding of long-term residence permit or right of permanent residence;
6) information on divestment of active legal capacity;
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.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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.
[Judgment No. 3-4-1-7-02 of Constitutional Review Chamber of Supreme Court of 15.07.2002 declares subsection (1) to be in conflict with §§ 11, 12 and subsection 156 (1) of the Constitution, RT III 2002, 22, 251 - entry into force 15.07.2002]
(2) [Repealed - RT I 2010, 29, 150 - entry into force 01.01.2011]
7) information concerning the education of the trustee;
(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.
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.
(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.
21) the general list of candidates in the rural municipality or city in case of a local government with more than one electoral district;
(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.
(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.
(3) If, within the term specified in subsection 36 (6) of this Act, a political party, an election coalition or an independent candidate has not performed the acts required by the rural municipality or city electoral committee, the rural municipality or city electoral committee shall not register:
1) any of the candidates nominated by the political party or election coalition if documents specified in clauses 35 (3) 1), 2) or 21) of this Act are missing or if the documents contain errors or are not in conformity with the standard format;
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;
(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.
(1) After the registration of candidates, the rural municipality or city electoral committee shall prepare the consolidated list of candidates in the electoral district.
(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.
(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.
(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) from the tenth day to the seventh day before election day in a voting district designated by a county electoral committee. Voting shall open at 12 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.;
(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.
(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.
(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.
(3) The voter shall complete the ballot paper pursuant to the provisions of subsections 45 (3)-(6) of this Act.
(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.
§ 50. Electronic voting
[Repealed - RT I, 01.11.2012, 1 - entry into force 11.11.2012]
(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.
(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.
§ 531. Taking votes cast using electronic means into account
(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) the candidate registration number written on the ballot paper has been changed;
(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.
§ 541. Counting of votes cast at advance voting
(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.
(3) Prior to the counting of electronic votes:
1) the Electronic Voting Committee shall annul on the basis of a notice specified in subsections 487 (4) and (5) of the Riigikogu Election Act the electronic votes, which have been changed by the ballot papers when voting;
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.
(5) The Electronic Voting Committee shall verify the following in each electoral district:
3) the number of electronic votes annulled pursuant to the procedure provided for in clause (3) 1) of this section;
(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.
(4) [Repealed - RT I 2005, 47, 387 - entry into force 18.09.2005]
§ 56. Ascertaining of election results in local government with one electoral district
(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.
(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.
(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.
§ 561. Ascertaining of election results in local government with more than one electoral 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.
(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.
(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.
§ 571. Specifications of elections of council of new local government held during period between regular 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.
§ 59. Report on financing of election campaign of political party, election coalition or independent candidate
[Repealed - RT I, 10.12.2010, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2011]
§ 591. Funds of election coalition
§ 60. Funds used for election campaign
§ 61. Expenditure for election campaign
Chapter 11 COMPLAINTS
§ 62. Definition of complaint
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.
§ 63. Requirements for complaints
1) the name of the body with which the complaint is filed;
2) the name, postal address and telecommunications numbers of the complainant;
4) a clearly expressed request;
5) the reasons for the complaint;
(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.
§ 64. Procedure for filing complaint against act of voting district committee or resolution or act of rural municipality or city electoral committee and for review of complaint
(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.
(5) The county electoral committee shall adopt one of the following resolutions:
(6) If a county electoral committee satisfies the complaint, the committee may decide:
1) to suspend the activities of a member of a voting district committee or a rural municipality or city electoral committee who has violated the law;
2) to repeal a resolution of a rural municipality or city electoral committee or to declare an act of a voting district committee or a resolution or act of a rural municipality or city electoral committee unlawful and to issue a precept to the voting district committee, rural municipality or city electoral committee for elimination of the violation;
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.
§ 65. Procedure for filing complaint against resolution or act of county electoral committee or act of Electronic Voting Committee and for review of complaint
(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.
(5) The National Electoral Committee shall adopt one of the following resolutions:
(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.
§ 66. Filing of complaints against resolutions or acts of electoral committees
(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) Violation of the prohibition on taking a ballot paper out of the polling place
(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 three 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.
(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.
(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)).
(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.
(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.
(5) [Repealed - RT I 2005, 47, 387 - entry into force 18.09.2005]