Counting and Ending the Day

Once the voting is over, the counting of the votes begins at the polling stations.

The counting of the votes is carried out by the Returning Officer, who removes the envelopes one by one from the ballot box and reads out the name of the candidacy. The Returning Officer will show each ballot paper, once it has been read out, to the members, election officials and proxies.

At the end of the count, any disputes and/or protests will be resolved by majority vote. The Presiding Officer shall then announce the result aloud, stating the number of registered voters, the number of certificates presented, the number of invalid ballot paper, the number of blank votes and the number of votes obtained by each candidate.

The Polling Station publishes the results in the form of the minutes of the vote count, a copy of which is given to the representative of the Administration and to the representatives of each candidacy, to the election officials, proxies and candidates who request it.

Yes, as it is a public act, but those attending do not have the right to speak or vote, so they cannot make demands or protests, nor can they interfere with the normal course of events.

Any person, whether a voter or not, has the right to be present at this event, provided that the premises where the Polling Station is located allow it. There shall be no restrictions in this regard other than those imposed by the Presiding Officer in the interests of public order.

The ballot papers are divided into three envelopes:

  • Envelope 1: it should contain the original of the minutes of the constitution of the Polling Station, the original of the minutes of the meeting and all documents referred to in the minutes of the meeting. In particular, the following documents shall be included: the numbered list of voters, the census certificates provided, the credential stubs of the election officials, the list of the electoral roll used and the invalid ballot papers or those that have been the subject of a complaint. Claims for reimbursement of postal vote expenses, if any, shall also be included.
  • Envelopes 2 and 3: each envelope must contain a copy of the minutes of the constitution of the Polling Station and a copy of the minutes of the meeting.

Once the envelopes have been sealed, the Presiding Officer, members and election officials shall cross their signatures on the envelopes by crossing the flaps.

The Presiding Officer, the members and election officials who so wish shall immediately go to the seat of the Court of First Instance or Justice of the Peace, within whose district the Polling Station is located, in order to hand over the first and second envelopes. Police forces shall accompany them and, if need be, provide transportation facilities.

The Judge will receive the documentation and sign the corresponding receipt (which must be included in the Polling Station’s documentation)

At least one of the members must remain in the Polling Station until envelope number 3 is handed in. The Post Office will send an employee to the Polling Station to collect the envelope and sign the corresponding receipt (which must also be included in the Polling Station’s documentation)

Polling station members who have to travel to the Courts of First Instance or Justices of the Peace at the end of election day in order to deliver the ballot papers may claim their travel expenses from the Government Delegation or Sub-Delegation.

Once the third envelope has been handed to the postman, the duties of the member remaining in the Polling Station shall cease.