CHAPTER II

ELECTION DISTRICTS AND VOTING STATIONS

Article 12. Formation of Single-Mandate Election Districts

    1. 100 single-mandate election districts are created by the Central Election Commission on the basis of information prepared by the relevant executive authority together with municipal bodies and submitted to the Central Election Commission about the number of voters living and registered within the territory of the relevant election district.

    2. Voters who reside outside of the Azerbaijan Republic should be registered in a single-mandate election district. The relevant executive authority submits information on voters who permanently live outside of the Azerbaijan Republic or who are abroad for a business trip for a long-term period and who are registered by the relevant diplomatic representation and consular offices of the Azerbaijan Republic to the Central Election Commission. Based on this information, the Central Election Commission approves the list of single-mandate election districts for preparing the voters lists of abovementioned persons. The number of voters of a single-mandate election district, where voters who reside outside of the Azerbaijan Republic have been registered, must be less than the single representation norm of voters. The number of voters who live outside of the Azerbaijan Republic and who have been registered in a single-mandate election district must not exceed the number of voters registered by each single-mandate election district by more than 5%.

    3. Single-mandate election districts should be formed by following the requirements mentioned below:

      1. The number of voters registered in the single-mandate election districts should be approximately equal, with a condition not to exceed the average representation norm by more than 5%; in remote districts by not more (less) than 10%; within the borders of administrative territorial unit of the Azerbaijan Republic;

      2. it is prohibited to create a single-mandate election district in the administrative territorial units which do not have boundaries between them.

    4. The necessity of not crossing borders of municipalities should be taken into account when following the requirements on the creation of single-mandate election districts are mentioned in the 3rd paragraph of this article.

    5. The Central Election Commission should approve the plan for creation of single-mandate election districts and [create a map describing] based on information [about] the electorate at least 110 days prior to the election. The scheme of creation of single-mandate districts should contain the following:

      1. The name and number of each single-mandate district;

      2. The list of administrative-territorial units included in each single-mandate election district or list of municipalities in cities; districts; districts in the cities (if a single mandate district includes a part of the territory of this administrative territorial unit; municipality or settlement then borders of the administrative territorial unit; municipality and settlement, should be shown in the scheme. If one single-mandate election district is created within the territory of one administrative-territorial unit, then a list of municipalities within the same single-mandate election district is not included in the scheme of creation of a single-mandate election district);

      3. The centre of each single-mandate election district;

      4. The number of voters registered by each single-mandate election district, number of voters registered by each municipality which is included in the election district if more than one election district is created within an administrative-territorial unit;

      5. The number of voters registered in the single-mandate election district in accordance with the 2nd paragraph of this article recording the foreign countries where overseas voters reside.

    6. State automated information systems can be used when creating single-mandate election districts and defining their scheme.

    7. The scheme of single-mandate election district must be published at least 105 days prior to Election Day.

Article 13. Single Multi-Mandate Election District

    1. Single multi-mandate election districts, where deputies should be elected on the basis of the proportional number of votes cast in accordance with the list of candidates nominated by the political parties and block of political parties, cover all the territory of the Azerbaijan Republic.

    2. According to article 12.2. of this law, voters who have been registered in the single-mandate election district are considered to be registered in the single multi-mandate election district as well.

Article 14. Formation of Precincts

    1. Precincts are created for conduct of voting and for count of votes, taking into account the number of voters registered within the territory of a municipality.

    2. Precincts are created at least 50 days prior to election day by the relevant Territorial Election Commissions, with the agreement of the heads of relevant executive authority and of the municipality, taking into account creating the maximum convenience for voters, local and other situations.

    3. Precincts are established in accordance with the following:

      1. not more than 1500 voters should be registered within each precinct;

      2. borders of precincts must not extend beyond the borders of an election district.

    4. Precincts are formed in accordance with the rules defined by the Central Election Commission in the places where voters are temporarily located (hospitals, sanatoriums, rest homes etc.); in remote districts; on ships which sail on election day within the period considered by article 2 of this law; in exceptional cases defined by the Central Election Commission, at least five days prior to election day. Such precincts are included in the single-mandate election district within the territory of which they are located or where the ship is registered.

    5. Military officers vote in the regular precincts. Only in exceptional cases defined by the Central Election Commission can precincts be established in the military units, which are outside of the settlement. Rules for transporting citizens of the Azerbaijan Republic, who are in a real military service, are defined by the Central Election Commission. In such cases, precincts are established within the period considered by the 2nd paragraph of this article, in exceptional cases five days prior to the election day in accordance with the decision of the relevant Territorial Election Commission by the commanders of the military units. All members of the precinct or superior election commissions, registered candidates and their representatives, authorised representatives of political parties and blocks of political parties and observers should have free access to the working rooms of the election commissions and voting rooms.

    6. Precincts for the organization of voting by out of country voters and for those vote counts are created by the head of diplomatic representation or by the head of the consular office of the Azerbaijan Republic within the territories where voters live, at least 30 days prior to the election day. In such cases, requirements of the article 3.1. of this law are used for determination of the number of voters registered.

    7. Lists of precincts, with numbers and borders shown (if a precinct covers a part of a settlement populated); lists of settlements (if a precinct is established in several settlements); information about the location of Precinct Election Commission and voting rooms and telephone numbers of the Precinct Election Commissions are published by the Territorial Election Commissions at least 45 days prior to election day. Information about precincts established within the period mentioned by the 4th and 5th paragraphs of this article are published at latest within two days after they have been established.

    8. Issues on publishing the information on precincts (mentioned in paragraph 7 of this article) established outside of the Azerbaijan Republic are solved by the diplomatic representation or head of the consular office of the Azerbaijan Republic, taking into account local situations.