Gohar Meloyan Alarms on Polling Station Violations
16 NOV 2025 06:24
Gohar Meloyan Alarms on Polling Station Violations
16 NOV 2025 06:24
Gohar Meloyan, executive director of the International Center for the Development of Parliamentarism, is raising an alarm about violations in the furnishing of polling stations.
"Behind the voting booths of polling station 14/1, there are doors, seemingly unsealed.
Behind the voting booths of polling station 14/6, there are doors. Although the path leading to the booth from behind is blocked by fabric, it is an easily surmountable obstacle.
Behind the voting booths of polling station 14/12, there is an unsealed door.
The windows behind the voting booths of polling station 14/19 are covered with white paper for a very short distance. It is possible to see the voter's ballot from outside.
Behind the voting booths of polling station 14/24, there are stairs leading to the second floor, from where the voting booths are visible, violating the secrecy of the voter's ballot.
Behind the voting booths of polling station 14/25, there is an unsealed door.
Next to one of the booths of polling station 14/45, there is a working drinking fountain.
To ensure the secrecy of voters' electoral rights, the drinking fountain must be turned off from 08:00 to 20:00 on 16.11.25, as individuals under the pretext of drinking water from it may approach the voter currently casting their vote, attempting to violate the secrecy of the vote or influence voters.
The camera of polling station 14/27 is not broadcasting as of 00:33 on November 16.
According to the constitutional law "Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia," video recording and simultaneous online broadcasting of the voting process, the process of summarizing voting results, and sessions of district electoral commissions from polling stations are carried out in real-time through specially created website(s).
During the broadcast, the real time and the polling station number must be visible on the video.
Video recording must be carried out using fixed cameras. The field of view of the cameras must include the ballot box, voter registration, distribution of ballot envelopes and ballots, and the process of summarizing voting results.
Video recording and online broadcasting must be carried out while maintaining the principle of secrecy of the vote.
By the way, in a number of polling stations, ballots were not placed in a fireproof safe. This was considered a violation until June 30, 2022, when an amendment was made to the decision of the Central Electoral Commission "On establishing the procedure for storing electoral documents and other accessories allocated to the precinct electoral commission," removing the ballot from the list of protected items," she wrote.
Behind the voting booths of polling station 14/6, there are doors. Although the path leading to the booth from behind is blocked by fabric, it is an easily surmountable obstacle.
Behind the voting booths of polling station 14/12, there is an unsealed door.
The windows behind the voting booths of polling station 14/19 are covered with white paper for a very short distance. It is possible to see the voter's ballot from outside.
Behind the voting booths of polling station 14/24, there are stairs leading to the second floor, from where the voting booths are visible, violating the secrecy of the voter's ballot.
Behind the voting booths of polling station 14/25, there is an unsealed door.
Next to one of the booths of polling station 14/45, there is a working drinking fountain.
To ensure the secrecy of voters' electoral rights, the drinking fountain must be turned off from 08:00 to 20:00 on 16.11.25, as individuals under the pretext of drinking water from it may approach the voter currently casting their vote, attempting to violate the secrecy of the vote or influence voters.
The camera of polling station 14/27 is not broadcasting as of 00:33 on November 16.
According to the constitutional law "Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia," video recording and simultaneous online broadcasting of the voting process, the process of summarizing voting results, and sessions of district electoral commissions from polling stations are carried out in real-time through specially created website(s).
During the broadcast, the real time and the polling station number must be visible on the video.
Video recording must be carried out using fixed cameras. The field of view of the cameras must include the ballot box, voter registration, distribution of ballot envelopes and ballots, and the process of summarizing voting results.
Video recording and online broadcasting must be carried out while maintaining the principle of secrecy of the vote.
By the way, in a number of polling stations, ballots were not placed in a fireproof safe. This was considered a violation until June 30, 2022, when an amendment was made to the decision of the Central Electoral Commission "On establishing the procedure for storing electoral documents and other accessories allocated to the precinct electoral commission," removing the ballot from the list of protected items," she wrote.
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