Society
25 лютага 2026, 13:37
Belarusian CEC: Single voting day has justified itself
MINSK, 25 February (BelTA) - The single voting day has made it possible to optimize the electoral process, Secretary of the Belarusian Central Election Commission Yelena Baldovskaya told BelTA.
Yelena Baldovskaya recalled that the single voting day is a new format for conducting parliamentary elections, provided for by Article 67 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus. For the first time in the history of sovereign Belarus, it was held on 25 February 2024. “Analyzing the experience of holding elections on the single voting day, we can unequivocally say that this innovation has justified itself. Yes, the campaign is complex, but at the same time, the single voting day has made it possible to optimize the electoral process as a whole," the secretary noted.
Among the advantages, she cited the reduction in expenses of the national budget for the organization and conduct of elections. “In essence, within one [campaign] we conduct two election campaigns, forming both the House of Representatives of the National Assembly and local Councils of Deputies," Yelena Baldovskaya emphasized.
Furthermore, the secretary noted that this format allows for a more rational use of human resources, minimizing the time and organizational costs for all participants in the election campaign and turning the elections into a less costly process in terms of people's involvement.
“Any election campaign requires the involvement of a large number of citizens. Election commissions alone need about 70,000 people. During the single voting day, more than 45,000 national observers were accredited to the election commissions. Specific stages of the election campaign involve candidates’ authorized representatives, citizens collecting signatures to support candidate nominations, and others,” Yelena Baldovskaya explained.
She also noted that the presence of an inter-election period until next elections, which will be held in 2029 and 2030, will allow for an analysis of the work done, a study of the opinions of regional election organizers, and adjusting the electoral legislation, taking into account law enforcement practice.
"During this period, the Central Election Commission pays special attention to awareness raising activities. Increasing the legal literacy of voters, especially young people, strengthens trust in democratic institutions, promotes the development of civil society, and ensures the conscious participation of everyone in voting,” she added.
