§ Article 51(untitled)

Functions and powers of the Central Electoral Commission

1. The Central Electoral Commission is an independent state authority which shall

 organise the elections of the National Assembly and local self-government bodies,

 referenda, as well as exercise supervision over the lawfulness thereof.

2. The Central Electoral Commission shall:

 (1) exercise supervision over using state budget funds allocated for preparing

 and holding elections;

 (2) adopt the rules of procedure thereof and the rules of procedure of lower

 electoral commissions;

 (3) organise and conduct professional courses for holding elections, establish

 the procedure for organising courses and issuing qualification certificates;

 (4) exercise supervision over the uniform application of this Code;

 (5) prescribe the forms and samples of ballot papers, ballot envelopes,

 protocols and other election related documents, the procedure for filling in

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 and keeping thereof, provide the electoral commissions with necessary

 election related documents;

(6) prescribe the standard forms of documents necessary for registration of

 candidates, electoral lists of political parties running in elections;

(7) adopt decisions — within the scope of powers thereof — that are binding

 throughout the Republic;

(8) abolish, declare repealed, invalid, or revoke the decisions of electoral

 commissions, which are in conflict with this Code, except for the decisions

 of district electoral commissions on being elected as members of the

 Councils of Elders of Gyumri and Vanadzor, on being elected as head of

 community or members of the council of elders;

(9) hear the communications of electoral commissions and state authorities on

 preparing and holding elections;

(10) accredit mass media representatives, the observers;

(11) register the elected Deputies of the National Assembly, the elected

 members of the Council of Elders of Yerevan, issue a relevant certificate for

 them;

(12) call new elections of the Council of Elders of Yerevan;

(13) adopt decisions provided for by this Code, provide clarifications concerning

 each issue related to the electoral processes in cases where the relevant

 function is not reserved to other responsible authorities, as well as adopt

 decisions which are not in conflict with this Code, with the view of

 regulation of electoral processes;

(14) develop and publish training materials for the members of electoral

 commissions, specialists, candidates, proxies, observers and electors;

(15) prescribe the procedure for drawing of lots at the electoral commissions;

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 (16) approve the sample ballot box and the technical specifications;

 (17) exercise supervision over financial activities of political parties;

 (18) register the electoral lists of political parties running in elections of the
 National Assembly and the Council of Elders of Yerevan, issue a certificate
 in the form established by the Central Electoral Commission for the
 candidates included in the lists;

 (19) may establish institutions as prescribed by law;

 (20) give binding instructions ensuring the implementation of this Code;

 (21) revoke the qualification certificate for being included in an electoral
 commission, where the person having received the relevant certificate has
 violated the requirements of this Code;

 (22) prescribe the procedure for the service and operation of the technical
 equipment, as well as for the usage and maintenance of memories of that
 equipment;

 (23) prescribe types of identification documents of electors not holding
 citizenship, which may be used during elections of local self-government
 bodies;

 (24) prescribe types of identification documents of electors who are in a
 penitentiary institution;

 (25) perform other powers provided for by this Code.

3. The Chairperson of the Central Electoral Commission or any member of the
 Central Electoral Commission, upon his or her assignment, shall submit a
 communication in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the Rules of
 Procedure of the National Assembly on activities thereof.

 This communication shall be posted on the website of the Central Electoral
 Commission.

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4. The Central Electoral Commission may apply to the Government of the Republic

 of Armenia, to the National Assembly proposing legislative amendments aimed at

 the improvement of the election process.

5. The Central Electoral Commission may adopt a decision on organising and

 holding, as a pilot project, voting for the elections of local self-government

 bodies in separate communities with technical equipment. While implementing a

 pilot project, depending on technical equipment or technological features, the

 Central Electoral Commission shall be entitled to define a new procedure for

 organising and holding the voting at local self-government elections, as well as

 for summarising the results.

6. The pilot project, provided for by part 5 of this Article, may be implemented in

 communities with no more than 2000 electors, and no more than in ten

 communities annually.

 (Article 51 amended by HO-119-N of 30 June 2016, supplemented by HO-318-N

 of 4 May 2018)