On the production, timing of issuance of signature sheets, as well as ensuring the electoral rights of persons with disabilities

 

On September 26, 2022, a meeting of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan was held under the chairmanship of Nurlan Abdirov.

The meeting was attended by representatives of political parties, public associations for the protection of the electoral rights of persons with disabilities, local executive bodies, members of the working group on ensuring the electoral rights of persons with disabilities under the CEC of the Republic of Kazakhstan; members of territorial election commissions of regions, cities of republican significance and the capital participated via videoconferencing .

The following issues were considered at the meeting:

1. On certain issues for ensuring the voting of citizens with disabilities in the elections of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan scheduled for November 20, 2022;

2. On the preparation of signature sheets for candidates for the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the election of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan scheduled for November 20, 2022;

3. On reducing the terms for issuing signature sheets and verifying the authenticity of signatures in support of a candidate for the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the elections of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan scheduled for November 20, 2022;

4. On approval of recommendations on the grounds for declaring voters’ signatures invalid during the verification of signature sheets in the elections of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan scheduled for November 20, 2022.

1. Anastassiya Schegortsova, a member of the Central Election Commission, reported on ensuring the voting of citizens with disabilities in the elections of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

She informed that the Constitutional Act “On Elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan” contains a number of norms to ensure the electoral rights of persons with disabilities. The Resolution of the Central Election Commission of 2018 approved the Recommendations on Ensuring the Electoral Rights of Persons with Disabilities. From 2021, broadcasts of meetings of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan and informational video materials are provided with sign language translation. The website of the Central Election Commission maintains a section entitled “Voting Rights of Persons with Disabilities.”

Since 2017, in order to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a Working Group on Ensuring the Electoral Rights of Persons with Disabilities has been operating under the Central Election Commission. Of the 19 members of the Working Group, 17 are representatives of public associations of persons with disabilities, representing 11 regions, cities of republican significance and the capital.

As part of the report, a number of instructions were announced to ensure conditions for voting for persons with disabilities during the election campaign. Thus, local executive bodies shall:

- check the accessibility of polling stations for persons with disabilities;

- prepare information on the number of persons with disabilities (blind and visually impaired, deaf, deaf-blind, with impaired functions of the musculoskeletal system) who need special conditions for voting, additionally work out the issues of ensuring appropriate conditions for them at a specific polling station at the place of registration of citizens;

- ensure that polling stations are equipped with areas for persons with disabilities in accordance with the Instructions of the Central Election Commission:

- provide for the presence of handrails, ramps, as well as other necessary devices (temporary ones are allowed).

- provide voting premises with maximum accessibility for persons with disabilities (the premises shall be located on the first floors or have lifting mechanisms for moving to other floors).

The premises for voting shall provide:

- various tactile indicators (if possible);

- a booth for secret voting, taking into account the access of voters with impaired functions of the musculoskeletal system, including those using wheelchairs;

- a specially equipped place for persons with disabilities, containing:

1) a computer with a monitor that should contain information about the ongoing campaign in a format adapted for persons with disabilities;

2) headphones;

3) additional lighting, magnifiers.

At the end of A. Schegortsova’s speech, Resolution of the CEC of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On certain issues of ensuring the voting of citizens with disabilities in the elections of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan scheduled for November 20, 2022” was adopted.

2. Member of the Central Election Commission Assylbek Smagulov spoke about the preparation, terms of issuance, as well as the recognition of unreliable signatures of voters during the verification of signature sheets.

He informed that in accordance with the Constitutional Act “On Elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan,” the collection of signatures in support of a presidential candidate shall be organised by authorised persons and executed with signature sheets issued by the CEC of the Republic of Kazakhstan no later than five days after the candidate is checked for compliance with the requirements established by the Constitution and the Constitutional Act “On Elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan.”

A presidential candidate shall be supported by at least one percent of the total number of voters equally representing at least two thirds of regions, cities of republican significance and the capital of the Republic. According to the unified electronic Register of voting citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the total number of voters of the Republic as of July 1, 2022 is 11 million 827 thousand 277 people. Thus, a presidential candidate shall be supported by at least 118,273 voters.

In accordance with the Constitutional Act “On Elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan” and the resolution of the CEC, a sample signature sheet was approved. Each signature sheet has a serial number and includes 20 lines for collecting voters’ signatures.

The proxy shall be a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan, cannot be a member of any election commission, a person holding the position of a political civil servant. The election commission, after registration of proxies, shall issue appropriate certificates to them. When collecting signatures, the person collecting signatures shall present a copy of the certificate of registration of the candidate’s authorised representative, whose personal signature is put on the corresponding signature sheet. The person collecting signatures shall mandatorily put his/her personal signature on the signature sheet.

The completed signature sheets for collecting signatures in support of a presidential candidate shall be submitted to the territorial election commission, which within 10 days shall check the authenticity of signatures with the involvement of passport service workers, draw up an appropriate protocol on the results of verification of the authenticity of signatures in support of a presidential candidate and send it to Central Election Commission.

The Resolution adopted at the meeting of the Central Election Commission provides for a reduction in the terms for issuing signature sheets and verifying the authenticity of signatures in support of a presidential candidate. This measure was proposed to reduce the time for organising the issuance of signature sheets and verifying the authenticity of signatures in order to increase the time for participants in the electoral process to collect signatures in support of a presidential candidate.

Thus, in accordance with the Resolution of the CEC of the Republic of Kazakhstan, signature sheets for collecting signatures in support of a presidential candidate shall be issued within two calendar days after their verification for compliance with the requirements established by the Constitution and the Constitutional Act. The term for verification by territorial election commissions of the authenticity of signatures in support of a presidential candidate has also been reduced from 10 to 5 calendar days.

The following signatures of voters shall be recognised as unreliable in signature sheets:

1) in case of incomplete data of the voter according to the signature sheet;

2) made in pencil;

3) bear traces of erasure or other means of forgery;

4) performed on behalf of the voter by other persons;

5) made by a person more than once in signature sheets for a specific candidate;

6) performed by one person for several persons;

7) performed for deceased persons;

8) performed by a person who does not have an active suffrage;

9) if there is a written application of the voter withdrawing his/her signature.

The Territorial Electoral Commission may also recognise the signature as unreliable in other cases if it is established that the signature was obtained in violation of the requirements of the law.

“As for the reduction of the terms for issuing signature sheets to presidential candidates, I would like to note once again that, on the basis of the electoral legislation, we have reduced the period for issuing signature sheets to presidential candidates by more than two times – from five to two days. The term for verifying the authenticity of signatures in support of a presidential candidate by territorial election commissions has also been reduced from ten to five days. For our part, candidates are given more time to collect signatures by reducing the time allotted for election procedures. In this regard, election commissions shall strictly follow the deadlines,” Nurlan Abdirov noted, closing the meeting of the Central Election Commission.

Following the meeting, a briefing was held for representatives of the media, at which members of the Central Election Commission answered questions from the media.