CEC releases statement clarifying the imbalance in the summary protocols of the voting results
Deliberate disinformation concerning irregularities and imbalance in the precinct election commissions’ (PECs) summary protocols of the election results disseminated by concrete individuals via social networks and the media aims to create distrust in the electoral process and election results, - reports the Central Elections Committee.
According to the CEC, the inbalances in the summaries can be explained by objective "objective circumstances".
"The CEC states that the imbalance in PEC summary protocols of election results could be caused by objective circumstances. Namely, in a number of cases, a voter participating in elections by the proportional electoral system has no right to participate in elections by the majoritarian electoral system if given voter does not vote according to the place of registration. The latter causes the imbalance in majoritarian summary protocol and the difference between the total number of votes cast for electoral subjects and the number of voters participating in the voting.
As for the cases when in summary protocols is indeed the imbalance between the data: at this stage the CEC is processing preliminary data of 31 October elections. The data was entered into the special program during the whole night, now, entered data is being verified and specified, explanations of members of relevant PEC eliminates the inaccuracy are reflected which eliminates the inaccuracies.
According to election legislation, if any mistake is made during filling out a summary protocol, to correct it, an inscription ‘corrected’ shall immediately be put alongside the respective data in a summary protocol. An election commission shall draw up an amendment protocol that shall specify the amended data entered into a summary protocol and the date and time of drawing up the protocol. A commission seal shall be put on the amendment protocol, the amendment protocol shall be registered in the log-book, and shall be attached to the summary protocol in which data were amended. Drawing up of the amendment protocol, shall be made no later than the second day of the polling day in the district election commissions (DECs) in line with election legislation.
It is unfortunate that several individuals purposefully and deliberately publish summary protocols in which the imbalance is caused by the above noted objective grounds, if any, they do not publish the amendment protocols or the explanations of the relevant members of the commission, the purpose of which, we reiterate, is to mislead the public and create distrust in the election results.
When it comes to inaccuracies related to protocols, on which complaints are filed with election administration, these complaints will be discussed in line with law; and all specific issues, if there are grounds, will be followed by legal response and relevant decision.
Ana Mikeladze presented the examples of summary protocols at the news briefing, according to which, concrete voter is recorded who participated in the polling, however, not all of them could make a choice in the majoritarian part, which is why there is a difference between the number of voters participating in the elections and the number of votes cast for the majoritarian candidates; the aforementioned is clearly seen in summary protocols of the same precincts in proportional part, where the total number of participants in the elections exactly matches the amount of the votes cast and the invalid ballots.
The CEC Spokesperson also presented the summary protocols that according to legislation are attached with the amendment protocols which eliminates the inaccuracy", - reads the statement.
