Counting of votes and preference crosses
Each list and/or individual candidate may be present during the counting of votes, either in person or by appointing special representatives at the various polling stations in order to monitor the entire operation until the completion of the sorting and counting of votes.
The sorting and counting of votes will take place at local polling stations as soon as the ballot is closed, under the responsibility and supervision of the presiding officer of each polling station, separately.

Immediately after the end of the voting, each ballot box shall be opened on the spot at the polling station, under the responsibility and supervision of the presiding officer and, the sorting and counting of votes process shall begin in the presence of the candidates’ representatives.

During the sorting and counting of votes no other person may be present at the polling station except for the officers on duty, the candidates and the representatives of lists and individual candidates. Their representatives shall not interfere in the counting process. During the sorting and counting of votes, representatives may not hold or use any ballot papers or stationery forms to record the results.

The presiding officer proceeds with the process of counting the votes and marks the word “invalid” on each ballot paper which he discards as spoilt.

Spoilt ballot papers
The presiding officer shall discard as spoilt any ballot paper:
· that does not bear the official stamp.

· that contains any letter or mark by which the identity of the voter can be ascertained.

· on which any essential part is missing or which or it does not contain all lists and candidates participating in the elections.

· on which the voter has voted two or more lists or one list or one list and one independent candidate.

· on which the voter has voted by using any other mark or letter or number, other than the designated signs “X”, “+”, or “√”.

· on which the voter has voted using a pen of any colour other than the blue or black pens which are available for this purpose

· By which it is not possible to verify the voter’s will. A blank ballot paper is spoilt because it is impossible to verify the voter’s will, but it is counted and recorded separately from the other spoilt ballot papers for statistical reasons (a “blank ballot paper” means a ballot paper on which the voter has failed to mark one of the designated signs «X» or «+» or «√», or any other sign, letter or number by which the ballot paper becomes spoilt).

Specific cases
• When a voter casts his vote for a list normally and at the same time marks a cross or preference crosses for candidates of a different list, the vote cast to the list shall prevail. In other words, the ballot paper is valid only in relation to the party vote, whereas the preference crosses marked for candidates from another list shall be disregarded.

• Ballot papers containing on any part of the column corresponding to each party list / coalition of parties / independent candidates or to each independent / individual candidate, one of the marks «X», «+» or «√» or any other mark similar to these, shall be considered as valid.

Before discarding as spoilt any ballot paper, the presiding officer shall show it to the representative of the list/candidate who is present at the polling station and once he has heard his opinion, he shall take the final decision. The decision of the presiding officer is final and is not subject to any electoral request for contesting the validity of the results.



Dispatch of the results to the Elections Officer
Upon the completion of the vote sorting and counting, the recording of the final results, as well as the sorting and counting of preference crosses, the Presiding officer of each polling station shall despatch without any delay the vote count sheet and shall transport the ballot box including its contents in a safe way to the Elections Officer of the relevant electoral constituency.