CNN: Netanyahu seeks emergency meeting with Trump amid mounting tensions over negotiations with Iran
a minute agoInvalid votes, fifth party in local elections
Periskopi(5 years ago)
(5 years ago)Isak Krasniqi, a retired machine technician, is not sure whether his vote has been valid in local elections held 17 October in Kosovo. He says that the proper non-information for the election process is the reason, according to him, could have been wrong. In the last local elections, my ballots are [...]
He says that the proper non-information for the election process is the reason, according to him, could have been wrong. In the last local elections, my ballots have seemed very complicated. A ballot presents the party, another ballot had nothing in common with it. I'm not sure I voted well at all. But, I always go out in elections, voted as di”, he says.
“The mode of voting must be shown frequently on television, so that people can understand how to vote”, Krasniqi adds.
More than 90 thousand is the number of invalid and empty ballots in the recent local elections in Kosovo.
Of these figures, according to unsertified Central Election Commission data, over 13 thousand are for mayoral elections and over 56 thousand for municipal municipalities.
This number is added to 13 thousand additional ballot papers where voters have left them empty, not voting for anyone.
The number of voters in this election has been over 811 thousand.
Chocolate: Paper design change needed
Eugen Cakoli from the Kosovo Democratic Institute, an organisation that has monitored the electoral process, says this situation is unacceptable and should be addressed immediately, working on changing the design of balloting and changing voter information campaigns in terms of voting.
There is also the design of the ballot. However, even the very way of voting because citizens receive two ballot papers and then can become such a distraction. That's why we've recommended that a review be made of paper and campaign design for information”, Calcoli says.
Calkoll says that the invalid and empty votes are “subjection” fifth in local elections.
In fact, except that it is one of the most voted in, we've had the same situation in parliamentary elections when invalid votes have technically passed the election threshold. In some cases even in municipal elections, in some municipalities the ballot rate reaches 20 percent, which is the second most voted subject within that municipality”, he points out.
Elez: There's a drop in the number of invalid ballots
Valmir Elez, spokesman at the Central Election Commission (KQZ), says that, as far as information is concerned, the Central Election Commission is constantly working towards informing and educating voters, through information campaigns or direct citizen activities.
It shows that in recent elections the number of balloting has been smaller than in past elections held in 2017.
In 2017, without counting empty ballot papers, the number of invalid ballotes in the mayoral elections has been 13 thousand 814 ballot papers, or 1.65 percent. While, in the municipal assembly elections that number was 65 thousand 370 or 7.88 percent”, he said.
According to Elez in the 2021 elections, the number of invalid ballots in municipal elections has been 13 thousand and 97 ballot papers, or 1.61 percent. While, in municipal assembly elections that number was 56 thousand and 179 or 6,91 percent”, he said.
The 17 October 2021 local elections were the fourth to take place after Kosovo declared independence in 2008.
Elez says that the Commission does analyzing invalid ballot papers to list the reasons and nature of the inadequacy of these ballot papers.
“From past election processes, while analyzing invalid election ballots for mayor or for convents, we have noted cases when more than a candidate or more than a political subject was voted; deliberate damage to balloting, as well as incomplete balloting”, he said.
On the basis of the final results of the Central Election Commission, the Democratic League of Kosovo has emerged first by vote for municipal municipalities, respectively, 170 thousand, followed by the Vetevendosje Movement by 168 thousand votes, and the third ranks the Democratic Party of Kosovo with 161 thousand votes, fourth by the number of votes presented the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo with 90 thousand and the Serbian List with over 50,000 votes.
The Central Election Commission (KQZ) on 3 November has made the announcement of final results for the October 17th local elections in Kosovo.
According to these results, 21 municipalities will compete in the second round in the runoff, while in 17 municipalities the winner is placed in the first round.
