On the Meeting of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan on April 22, 2019

On April 22, 2019, a meeting of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan was held on April 22, 2019 with the participation of representatives of political parties and a number of state bodies. The following issues were addressed at the meeting:

 

1. “On organization of work with voter lists at the early election of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, scheduled for June 9, 2019”

2. “On ensuring conditions at polling stations for citizens with disabilities in the early elections of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, scheduled for June 9, 2019”

“On the organization of work with voter lists”

Formation of the list of voters by local executive bodies.

The list of voters at the place of residence shall be compiled by the relevant local executive body on the basis of the state database on individuals.

The basis for including a citizen in the voter list at a particular polling station shall be the fact of registration at the place of residence in the territory of this polling station.

The voter lists shall include:

1) citizens of the Republic who have an active electoral right;

2) citizens at the place of residence in the territory of respective polling stations.

Temporarily registered citizens shall be included in the voter lists on the basis of an application submitted by them to the local executive body with exclusion from the list at the place of permanent registration;

A citizen may be included only in one voter list.

Officials of local executive bodies shall be responsible for the accuracy of voter lists, as well as information about voters submitted by the relevant election commission.

Adoption of applications for amendments to the list of local executive bodies voters.

Each voter has the right to register as a voter in the relevant local executive body from the moment of announcement or appointment of elections.

If the voter got to know that he/she would not be able to arrive on election day at the polling station at their place of registration no later than thirty days before the election, i.e. not later than May 10, they shall have the right to submit to the local executive body a written application on inclusion to the respective voter list.

In this case, the local executive body shall organize exclusion of a citizen from the voter list at the place of registration and inclusion in the voter list of the polling station in which the citizen will vote.

Familiarization of citizens with voter lists.

The relevant akim shall submit voter lists for each polling station by act to the precinct election commission twenty days prior to voting, i.e. no later than May 20.

Voter lists for polling stations, no later than May 25, shall be submitted to voters for review by the relevant election commissions.

Citizens shall be provided with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the voter lists, as well as to check the correctness of the voter data entered in them at the premises of the relevant election commissions.

Every citizen has the right to check the data on themselves in the voter lists and to appeal against non-inclusion, incorrect inclusion in the list or removal from the list, as well as admitted inaccuracies in the data about the voter.

Applications for inclusion in the voter lists, exclusion from them, or corrections to voter lists shall be considered by the relevant election commission on the day the application is received by the election commission.

If the application is rejected, the election commission shall promptly provide the applicant with a copy of a reasoned decision to reject his application. The decision may be appealed to the relevant court at the location of the election commission, which considers the complaint on the day it is received.

If the decision is positive for the applicant, a correction in the voter list or inclusion of a non-included voter in the list shall be made by the election commission immediately.

A voter may be included in the voter list at the relevant polling station upon confirmation of permanent registration at the location of the polling station, i.e. providing an address certificate issued by the Public Service Centers.

Local executive bodies together with the election commissions of the country shall take all measures to ensure that a citizen who came to the polling station on election day found him- (her-) self on the voter list and was able to exercise his right to vote freely.

 

“On ensuring conditions at polling stations for citizens with disabilities”

The working group of the Central Election Commission together with public organizations and government agencies developed Recommendations on ensuring the electoral rights of citizens with disabilities during elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

To ensure the participation of citizens with disabilities in political and public life, it is recommended that political parties and other public associations nominate citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan with disabilities to become candidates for elective posts, include them in party lists, and propose members of election commissions when they are formed.

In pursuance of legislation, local executive bodies are obliged to assist election commissions in ensuring the electoral rights of citizens with disabilities by creating the conditions for their unimpeded access to polling stations.

To resolve these issues it is needed to:

1) provide for the placement of premises for voting on the first floors of buildings, the presence of ramps, flooring, tactile signs (temporary ones are allowed), necessary door openings, sufficient lighting;

2) take into account the presence of convenient access and pedestrian roads, special parking spaces for vehicles;

3) include polling stations in the accessibility map of social infrastructure of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

At polling stations where significant numbers of blind and deaf voters are expected to vote, with the assistance of local executive bodies and public associations, sign language and tactile sign language interpreters can be involved.

Election commissions take steps to ensure an accessible understanding and use of voting procedures and materials.

During the election campaign election commissions, based on the information from local executive bodies on the number of voters with disabilities, shall take measures:

– on the preparation in audio format (on digital media) of information materials about the election campaign (time and place of voting, major electoral actions, necessary contact information, for example, telephone number, address of election commissions), voting procedures, procedure for filling in the ballot and other electoral procedures;

– on the production of information materials about candidates, party lists, printed in an enlarged font, convenient for reading in the required amount.

Information materials intended for voters with disabilities shall be posted on the premises of election commissions.

At polling stations, citizens with disabilities shall be provided with such conditions that they can cast their vote secretly, without outside help (or using the help of a person of their own choice). If a voter cannot arrive for voting, the precinct election commission shall organize voting at the place of stay of these voters upon their written request, which may be filed no later than at twelve o’clock of local time on election day.

Speaking of practical steps, it should be noted that in 2018 the Central Election Commission carried out a number of specific measures to implement the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Citizens with Disabilities.

On March 15, the Central Election Commission together with the OSCE Center held a round table on the topic “Issues of the implementation of electoral rights of citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan with disabilities: Kazakhstan and international experience.”

As a result, the participants of the round table reviewed new opportunities for the realization of the electoral rights of persons with disabilities.

 

In the light of the above approaches, within the framework of extraordinary presidential elections scheduled for June 9, 2019, it is envisaged to ensure the voting rights of persons with disabilities through production of:

1) methodical manual in audio format “Leaflet for voters with disabilities about elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan” (in the amount of 10210 pieces);

2) methodological guide “Leaflet for voters with disabilities about elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan” (in the amount of 10,482 pieces);

3) Purchase of special magnifying glasses for visually impaired persons (in the amount of 10210 pieces);

It is assumed that this production will be provided to each precinct election commission of the country, as well as specialized libraries for citizens with disabilities.

Organization of electoral training for members of territorial election commissions is among currently important areas of work of the CEC RK.

In particular, the issues of ensuring the electoral rights of citizens with disabilities are reflected in the educational and methodological complex for training electoral commission members to conduct elections.

To this end, a number of test tasks were included in the remote testing subsystem related to ensuring the voting rights of citizens with disabilities.

For the first time in the practice of an election campaign, the provision of electoral rights of citizens with disabilities is carried out, and coordinated joint activities of all participants in the electoral process will contribute to the achievement of goals.

Following the results of the past extended meeting, a briefing was held at the Central Election Commission with the participation of media representatives, at which members of the CEC RK answered all media questions.