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National referendum for Draft Law "Amendment to the Law "On State Pensions"". fact sheetReferendum day: 23 August 2008 On Saturday, 23 August, a national referendum will take place for the Draft Law "Amendment to the Law "On State Pensions"". On the referendum day, polling stations will be open from 7 AM till 10 PM. A voter needs a passport of the citizen of Latvia in order to vote. Regardless one’s place of residence voters can visit any polling station in Latvia or abroad in order to vote. In order the Draft Law shall be deemed adopted, at least 453,730 electors or one half of the electorate who participated in the last parliament elections must participate in the national referendum and a majority must vote in favor of the adoption of the Draft Law. Why the national referendum is organized? National referendum must be organized because on 3 July 2008 the Parliament rejected the draft amendments which were supported by voters’ signatures and submitted for review to the Parliament. Law “On National Referendums and Initiation of Legislation” provides that in this case a referendum must be held not earlier than one month and not later than two months from rejection of a draft law by the Parliament. Right of vote All citizens of Latvia having the right to elect the Parliament may participate in a national referendum. These are eligible citizens of Latvia starting from the age of 18. According to the data provided by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs there are 1,516,097 voters in Latvia as of 21 August 2008. Procedure for registration of voters A previously prepared voters’ register is not used for national referendums in Latvia, same as for elections of the Parliament. In case of a national referendum, voters are registered at a polling station on a day of the referendum. A stamp in passport of a voter is used for ensuring the principle “one voter – one vote”. This procedure ensures that a voter can visit any polling station in Latvia or abroad regardless of his or her place of residence, but a passport of the citizen of Latvia is a mandatory document for voting in this case. Question in the national referendum In the referendum voters will have to answer the question: "Do you support adopting the Draft Law "Amendment to the Law "On State Pensions""?". Possible answers are "For" and "Against". Procedure of voting in polling stations - When arriving at a polling station, a passport of the citizen of Latvia must be presented. - A voter must register him or herself in the voter’s register in order to receive a voting list. - Upon receipt of a voting list, a voter must sign in the voters’ register. - One must ascertain whether a voting list for the national referendum contains a stamp of a relevant polling station. - A voting booth or compartment must be used when voting. - A voter can put “+” for answer “For” or answer “Against” in a voting list. Answer “For” must be selected if the voter supports adoption of the draft amendments. Answer “Against” must be selected if the voter does not support adoption of the draft amendments. - A voting list must be folded and put in a voting box. - One must take into account that a voting list shall be invalid in case, if: 1) It does not contain a stamp of a relevant polling station, 2) Both answers – “For” and “Against” have been marked in the voting list, 3) No answer has been marked in the voting list. Exceptions from the general voting procedure The procedure for national referendum provides several additional possibilities of voting. Voters abroad can vote at polling stations established in foreign countries or by mail, and voters in Latvia can vote at their location in specific cases. The opportunity to vote at the location of a voter can be used by those voters who due to their health condition are unable to visit a polling station on a referendum day, caregivers for such voters, as well as suspects and defendants to whom custody has been applied as a security measure. The opportunity to vote by mail in a national referendum can be used by those citizens of Latvia who are abroad at the period of the referendum. Polling stations abroad accepted applications for voting by mail by 1 August. On the referendum day, 23 August, 47 polling stations will be open abroad from 7 AM till 10 PM local time. Election commissions Different level election commissions are involved in organizing the national referendum. The Central Election Commission conducts and organizes the national referendum. Election commissions of 7 cities of the Republic, 26 districts, 52 cities, 428 civil parishes and 37 territories ensure the course of the national referendum. 998 polling stations will provide services to voters at the national referendum, and totally more than 10,000 members and employees of election commissions will be involved in organizing the national referendum. Observers Observers who are authorized by political parties and associations of political parties may observe the course of national referendum and counting of votes at polling stations. Election observers can be authorized also by the Central Election Commission and election commissions of districts. Representatives of mass media are also allowed to follow the course of voting and counting of votes at polling stations. In order to observe the course of voting and counting of votes, observers from political parties and associations of political parties must present an authorization from the decision-making body of a political party or association of political parties, as well as a personal identification document. Representatives of mass media may visit polling stations by presenting a work certificate and a personal identification document. Campaigning Political campaigning is allowed on a referendum day in Latvia. It is prohibited to campaign in the premises of voting and closer than 50 meters from entrance to a building of a polling station. Members and employees of election commissions are prohibited to campaign. Participation of voters On the referendum day, 23 August, the Central Election Commission will summarize data about participation of voters as of 8 AM, 12 AM, 4 PM and 8 PM. The Central Election Commission will publish such information also on the homepage of the national referendum (www.tn2008.cvk.lv) where the information will appear, on average, one hour later needed for summarization of the data, respectively, at 9 AM, 1 PM, 5 PM, 9 PM. Counting of votes, results of the national referendum Counting of votes will start immediately after closing the polling stations. Commissions of polling stations will count the votes. Observers and representatives of mass media may follow the process of counting of votes. Results of counted votes in a polling station will be announced to the Central Election Commission in the night of the national referendum, and the Central Election Commission will publish them on Internet homepage www.tn2008.cvk.lv . The Central Election Commission will summarize the final results of the national referendum and will publish them within two weeks that are required in order to receive and verify original documents from polling stations in Latvia and abroad.
www.tn2008.cvk.lv – on the referendum day of 23 August, information will be provided about participation of voters, as well as provisional results of the national referendum. www.cvk.lv – Internet homepage of the Central Election Commission where additional information about the procedure for national referendums, regulations, addresses and opening hours of polling stations is available. 67049999 – 24 h info-line of the Central Election Commission for voters; provides information about polling stations and the procedure of national referendum. Central Election Commission |
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