§ Article 143(untitled)

Procedure for preferential voting

1. In preferential voting, surnames, names, patronymics of all candidates shall be

 specified on the left side of the ballot paper, and empty tick boxes shall be placed

 to the right of each candidate for the voter to make a note. The order of names

 of candidates shall be determined by drawing of lots. The ballot paper may be

 substituted by an electronic data file expressing the preferences.

2. In the ballot paper the elector shall enter the figure “1” in the tick box next to

 the name of the candidate to whom the elector gives his or her first preference.

 Subsequent integer numbers, starting from “2”, shall then be respectively

 entered in the tick boxes next to the names of other candidates in the order of

 preference given thereto. No number shall be entered in the tick boxes against

 those candidates to whom the elector gives no preference, but in any case,

 preference for candidates must be expressed at least for the number of vacant

 seats. At a particular stage of summarisation of voting results, a ballot paper shall

 be considered as given in favour of the continuing candidate who has the highest

 level of preference votes in that ballot paper.

3. The following main concepts are used in this Article:

 (1) continuing candidate — candidate who is neither excluded from the

 counting nor declared as elected at a certain stage of summarisation of

 voting results;

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 (2) value of ballot paper — numerical value given to the ballot paper as

 prescribed by this Article at a certain stage of summarisation of voting

 results;

 (3) total value of ballot papers — the total sum of values of all ballot papers

 not excluded from the counting at a certain stage of summarisation of

 voting results;

 (4) value of votes for the candidate — the total sum of values of ballot

 papers cast in favour of the candidate, which are not excluded from the

 counting;

 (5) passing quota — the minimum number of votes necessary for being

 deemed to be elected at a certain stage of summarisation of voting results;

 (6) value of surplus votes for the candidate — the difference between the

 passing quota and the value of votes for the candidate, who is deemed to be

 elected by the result of a certain stage;

 (7) gender equality standard — a quantitative standard ensuring gender

 equality between the elected candidates (for example, the number of

 representatives of each sex among the elected candidates must not be more

 than 6).

4. The voting results shall be summarised electronically. For the summarisation of

 voting results, the following steps shall be taken in turn until the summarisation

 of voting results is completed. All the arithmetical actions shall be done with

 2-digit accuracy after the decimal point.

 Step 1. Invalid ballot papers shall be excluded from the counting. A ballot

 paper shall be deemed invalid if it contains no preference given to

 candidates, at least equal to the number of vacant positions, or more

 than one candidate has received the same level of preference votes.

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 All valid ballot papers shall be deemed not excluded from the counting,

 and the value of those ballot papers shall be considered as “1”.

Step 2. Ballot papers cast in favour of candidates not excluded from the

 counting shall be sorted as per the candidates. All candidates shall be

 deemed to be continuing candidates.

Step 3. Where the election of a representative of one of the sexes violates the

 gender equality standard:

 a. all the representatives of that gender shall be excluded from the

 counting;

 b. their ballot papers shall be distributed in the following manner:

 the ballot paper with the same value shall be added to the ballot

 papers of the continuing candidates in favour of whom it is cast.

Step 4. Where the number of all the elected candidates equals to the number

 of vacant seats, the summarisation of the voting results shall be

 completed.

Where the number of all the elected candidates is smaller than the number of

vacant seats, but the compliance with gender equality standard unequivocally

predetermines the candidates who are to fill the vacant seats, these respective

candidates shall also be announced as elected, and the summarisation of the

voting results shall be completed.

Step 5. The value of votes for the candidate shall be calculated for each

 continuing candidate. Based on these calculations, the total value of

 ballot papers shall be calculated, which shall be the total sum of votes

 of all continuing candidates.

The passing quota shall be calculated in accordance with the following formula:

Passing quota = Total value of ballot papers / (Number of vacant seats +1) + 0.01

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Step 6. Where there is no continuing candidate whose total value of votes is

 higher than or equal to the passing quota, the process of

 summarisation of voting results shall continue from Step 10.

Step 7. The continuing candidate, whose total value of votes is the highest,

 shall be deemed as elected.

Step 8. For the elected candidate the value of surplus votes for the candidate,

 equalling to the difference of the value of the votes for the candidate

 and the passing quota, shall be counted. A new value of vote shall be

 given to each ballot paper cast in favour of that candidate. For the

 purpose of counting it, the value of vote of the ballot paper shall be

 multiplied by the value of surplus votes for the candidate and divided

 by the value of votes for the candidate.

Step 9. All ballot papers of an elected candidate shall be re-distributed in the

 following manner: the ballot paper shall be added to ballot papers of

 the candidate in favour of whom it is cast. Where there is no such

 continuing candidate, the ballot paper shall be excluded from the counting

 and shall never be used during the following summarisation steps. The

 summarisation of the voting results shall continue from Step 3.

Step 10. A continuing candidate with the lowest value of votes shall be excluded
 from the counting unless it violates the gender equality standard. In
 case it violates the gender equality standard, the candidate having
 received the minimum votes, whose exclusion will not violate the
 gender equality standard, shall be excluded from the counting. Where
 due to the tie of votes it is impossible to determine the candidate
 having received the minimum votes, the candidate to be excluded shall
 be determined by drawing of lots.

Ballot papers of the candidate excluded from the counting shall be distributed in
the following manner: the ballot paper with the same value shall be added to

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 ballot papers of the continuing candidate in favour of whom it is cast. The
 summarisation of the voting results shall continue from Step 3.