Organisation : Elections Commission, Kingdom of Bahrain
Facility : Procedure Followed During the Voting Process
Country : Bahrain
Procedure Followed During the Voting Process : https://www.vote.bh/
Home Page : https://www.vote.bh/
Procedure Followed During the Voting Process :
The voting process should be carried out as per the following :
1. Ballot papers will be sent to the embassy, consulate or the diplomatic mission with a quantity that is double the number of voters registered at them to cover the required number of papers in each round of voting, in addition to an extra amount of 10% as standby.
2. The Committee chairman receives his package, and should ensure that the package includes the following items:
** One ballot box (taking into consideration embassies with large electoral blocs).
** One voting cabin (taking into consideration embassies with large electoral blocs).
** Ballot papers.
** Committee seal.
** Minutes/reports
** Numbered security tapes to close the ballot box.
** Voters’ schedule registered at the embassy, consulate or diplomatic mission.
** Elections advertisement printed on a roll-up.
** Envelopes with security bars.
The committee chairman should make sure that these items are sound and in efficient number and are available enough time before Election Day.
3. The Parliamentary elections overseas will be held at the headquarters of the embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions on the specified Election Day abroad. Voting will start from 9 am till 7 pm, local time.
4. The Committee chairman should be present on Election Day at the premises of the embassy, consulate or diplomatic mission at 8 am sharp (local time). He should make sure all committee members and supporting employees are also present.
5. The Committee chairman will examine the ballot box by opening it and make sure it is empty and sound, and then closes it with a security tape.
6. The chairman opens a ballot report using the provided template, and records in it the procedures and decisions taken by the Committee on matters that are received during the ballot process. The records should include the number of supporting employees, voters’ lists, ballot boxes (for embassies of large electoral blocs), ballot papers, committee seal and elections stamps.
7. At 9 am (local time), ballot doors will be open for the voters.
8. The chairman will supervise over the voting process while it is in progress.
9. The committee shall not accept the vote of any voter whose name is not registered in the voters’ lists.
10. The identity of the voter will be verified by his passport or any accepted official document. His constituency in which the voter is registered will be also verified, and that he did not previously vote, after revising the voters’ lists registered in the embassy, consulate or diplomatic mission. Then take the necessary action to provide that the voter has cast his vote by the specified mean.
11. Voting will be done by ticking on the ballot paper which includes the candidates’ names and in the place allocated for voting. The voter cannot cast his vote more than once in the elections.
12. The list of voters registered overseas will be marked indicating the voter has cast his vote.
13. Any voter who does not know how to write or read or is blind or with special needs who cannot mark their votes by themselves on the ballot paper, should vote verbally, and the Committee chairman will mark the voter’s choice in the presence of one of the committee members on the ballot paper which will be then inserted in the box.
14. The voting process will continue until 7 pm (local time), but if there were voters in the embassy, consulate or diplomatic mission who have not yet cast their votes and wish to do that, the process will continue for them only, and then the chairman will declare the end of the voting process, after the last voter casts his vote.
15. If all voters registered in the voters’ list have cast their votes before the end of the closing time, the Committee chairman will declare the end of the voting process after the last voter casts his vote.
16. The chairman will withdraw all ballot papers and count the damaged and remaining papers and record them in the ballot report.
17. The chairman will close the ballot box’s opening by the security tape and leave it in its place, until the start of the counting process.
18. The chairman will close the ballot report and it shall be signed by him and the secretary and stamped with the committee seal. A copy of the report will be faxed or sent by email to the Supreme Committee at the Ministry of Justice Islamic Affairs and Endowments.
19. Whoever did not cast his vote at the embassy, consulate or diplomatic mission in the Parliamentary elections, can cast his vote before the concerned committee in his electoral constituency in case he was present inside the Kingdom on Election Day.