Election  commissions and election offices

Election offices are election bodies responsible for tasks related to the preparation, organization, and conduct of elections. They provide information to voters, candidates, and nominating organizations, manage election data, and ensure the technical conditions for elections.

The election offices:

• National Election  Commission
• Regional Election  Commission
• Parliamentary Single-Member Constituency Election  Commission
• Local Election Commission
• Polling Station Commission

Submissions may be made to the election  commissions at the address of the election office operating alongside them. In the case of the polling station commission, submissions are made to the local election office.

Election offices are electoral bodies performing the tasks related to the preparation, organisation and conduct of elections, the provision of information to voters, candidates and nominating organisations, the management of election data and the provision of technical conditions for elections.

Election offices are

• perform organizational tasks related to the preparation and conduct of elections,
• provide information to voters, candidates, and nominating organizations, and operate an election information service,
• perform the secretarial duties of the election  commissions and prepare issues falling within the  commissions’ competence for decision,
• ensure the material and technical conditions for the operation of the election  commissions and the conduct of the vote,
• organize the training of the members of the election bodies,
• ensure the handling, secure storage, and destruction of election documents,
• perform tasks related to administrative and IT testing,
• ensure data protection and IT security requirements, operate the election information systems necessary for the preparation and conduct of the election within the scope of their responsibilities,
• provide technical support for the counting of votes and the establishment of election results.

The following election offices operate at each election:

• National Election Office

The National Election Office is an autonomous administrative institution, independent and subject only to the law. It is independent in performing its duties,carrying them out separately from other bodies, free from external influence.

Its budget forms a separate item within the budget chapter of the National Assembly.

The president of the National Election Office is appointed by the president of the republic on the recommendation of the prime minister.

Further information on the National Election Office can be found here.

• Regional Election Office

There is a Regional Election Office in every county and in the capital city.

The head of the Regional Election Office is the clerk of the county government or the chief clerk of the capital city government.

• Parliamentary Single-Member Constituency Election Office

Each single-member constituency seat has a Single-Member Constituency Election Office, headed by the clerk of the municipality where the seat is located.

• Local Election Office

Every municipality has its own Local Election Office. In municipalities belonging to a joint municipal office, the tasks of the Local Election Office are performed by a joint Local Election Office. The head of the Local Election Office is the clerk.

By polling station commissions, the local election office acts as the recording clerk.

• Foreign Representation Election Office

A Foreign Representation Election Office operates at foreign representations.

The Foreign Representation Election Office performs the tasks assigned to the polling station commission, with the exception of vote counting.