Info
Voter Registration
VR001
Voting age
Question: What is the legal voting age in the national elections?
Answer:
c . 18
Comments: Elections of deputies and other persons elected to state offices by the people shall be general: citizens of the Republic of Belarus who have reached the age of 18 shall be eligible to vote.
Source: Constitution: “Constitution of the Republic of Belarus”, art. 64: https://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/europe/BY/belarus-constitution-2021-english/ ;
Electoral Code: "Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus”, art. 4: https://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/europe/BY/belarus-electoral-code-2023-english/
Verified: 2023/09/13
VR002
Other voting requirements
Question: Beyond age, what other qualifications exist for registering to vote and voting in the national elections?
Answer(s):
a . Citizenship
Comments: Citizens shall have the right to vote freely and to be elected to state bodies on the basis of universal, equal, direct or indirect suffrage by secret ballot.
Citizens who are deemed incapable by a court or kept in places of confinement in accordance with a court sentence, and persons in respect of whom detention is selected under the procedure established by the criminal procedural legislation shall not take part in elections.
Source: Constitution: “Constitution of the Republic of Belarus”, art. 38 & 64: https://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/europe/BY/belarus-constitution-2021-english/ ;
Electoral Code: "Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus”, art. 4: https://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/europe/BY/belarus-electoral-code-2023-english/
Verified: 2023/09/13
VR004
Authority responsible for voter registration
Question: Which is the authority responsible for the registration of voters for national elections?
Answer:
e . Other
Comments: Lists of the citizens having the right to participate in elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus, deputies of the House of Representatives, deputies of local Councils of Deputies, referendum, in voting on the recall of a deputy of the House of Representatives, deputy of local Councils of Deputies shall be drawn up for every voting precinct and be signed by the chairperson and the secretary of the precinct commission.
City, rural, settlement executive committees, and in the cities with district division – local administrations, district executive committees in the cities and urban-type settlements where the city and settlement executive committees are not created, ensure recording of participants and transfer to the precinct commissions of lists of the citizens of the Republic of Belarus registered on the territory of the respective voting precincts and having the right to participate in elections, referendum, voting on recall of a deputy signed by the chairperson of respective executive committees, and in the cities with district division – by the heads of local administrations.
Lists of the citizens who are military personnel being in military units, as well as the members of their families and other voters, participants of referendum residing in the areas where military units are located shall be drawn on the basis of the data submitted by commanders of the military units. Servicemen residing outside military units are included into the lists of citizens having the right to participate in elections, referendum, voting on recall of a deputy, at the place of residence on common terms.
Lists of the citizens having the right to participate in elections, referendum, voting on recall of a deputy by the polling stations created in sanatoriums, preventoriums, rest houses, hospitals and other healthcare organizations providing in-patient medical assistance are drawn on the basis of the data being submitted by heads of the mentioned institutions.
Lists of the citizens having the right to participate in elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus, deputies of the House of Representatives, in republican referendum, by the voting precincts created outside the Republic of Belarus are drawn on the basis of the data submitted by the heads of diplomatic representations (consular institutions) of the Republic of Belarus acting on the territory of respective foreign states.
Surnames of citizens in the list are indicated in the order convenient to hold voting.
Source: Electoral Code: "Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus”, art. 13: https://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/europe/BY/belarus-electoral-code-2023-english/
Verified: 2023/09/13
VR008
Is it compulsory to be on the voters register?
Question: Is it compulsory to be on the voters register?
Answer:
a . Yes
Comments: Lists of the citizens having the right to participate in elections shall be drawn up for every voting precinct and be signed by the chairperson and the secretary of the precinct commission.
Source: Electoral Code: "Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus”, art. 19: https://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/europe/BY/belarus-electoral-code-2023-english/
Verified: 2023/09/13
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