REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA

REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA LAW ON THE AMENDMENT OF THE LAW ON ELECTIONS TO THE SEIMAS (Valstybës Þinios, 1992, No.22-635, No.24-710; 1993, No.10- 234; 1994, No.89-1718; 1995, No.7-142) Article  1. Newly Revised Version of the  Law  of  the Republic of Lithuania on Elections to the Seimas The  Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Elections  to  the Seimas shall be amended and set forth to read as follows: "REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA LAW ON ELECTIONS TO THE SEIMAS I. GENERAL PROVISIONS Article 1. The Principles of Elections of Seimas Members Members  of  the  Seimas  of  the  Republic  of  Lithuania (hereafter  referred to as "the Seimas") shall be elected  for  a four-year  term  in  one-candidate or  multi-candidate  electoral areas  on  the basis of universal and equal suffrage,  by  secret ballot in direct mixed system elections. Article 2. Universal Suffrage 1. Citizens of the Republic of Lithuania who on the day  of the  election are 18 years of age shall have the right  to  vote. Citizens  who  have  been declared legally incompetent  by  court shall not participate in elections. 2.  Any  citizen of the Republic of Lithuania  who  is  not connected with a foreign state by oath or pledge and is at  least 25  years of age on the day of elections, and permanently resides in  Lithuania  may be elected as Seimas member. When establishing for  a  citizen, who has arrived in Lithuania from another  State for  residency, a fact of permanent residence, a one-year  period established  in the Law of the Republic of Lithuania  on  Persons Considered  Permanent Residents or Residents of the  Republic  of Lithuania  shall  not  apply to. The fact of permanent  residence established  in  this way shall be recognised as  important  only according to the Law on Elections to the Seimas. 3.  Persons  who, with 65 days remaining before  elections, have  not completed a court-imposed sentence, as well as  persons who  have  been  declared legally incompetent and  of  diminished responsibility by the court may not be elected as Seimas members. 4. Persons who on the day of elections are in the active or alternative   service,  as  well  as  officers,  non-commissioned officers and re-enlistees of the national defence system,  police and  the  internal  affairs service who, with 65  days  remaining before elections, have not retired from service, and officers  of other  militarised and security services who are on  the  payroll may not be elected as Seimas members. 5.  Other direct or indirect abridgements of the  right  to vote  of the citizens of the Republic of Lithuania on the grounds of  their  descent,  political convictions,  social  or  property status, nationality, sex, education, language, religion,  or  the type or character of their occupation shall be prohibited. Article 3. Equal Suffrage Every citizen of the Republic of Lithuania who has the right to vote shall have one vote in a one-candidate electoral area and a  multi-candidate electoral area, and these votes shall have the same  value  as the votes of every citizen who has the  right  to vote.  Every  voter  shall have an equal  right  to  express  his opinion  about  the candidates who are entered  in  the  list  of candidates for which he votes in a multi-candidate area, and this opinion  shall have the same value as the opinion of every  voter who has voted for this list. Article 4. Direct Elections There  shall be no voting by proxy in elections  of  Seimas members. Article 5. Secret Ballot 1.  Voters  shall vote in person and by secret  ballot.  It shall  be  prohibited  for a person to vote  instead  of  another person  or to vote by proxy. A voter who, because of his physical disability,  cannot  cast a ballot himself,  may  vote  with  the assistance of another person whom he trusts, as it is provided in paragraph  6 of Article 65 of this Law. If someone gets  to  know the secret of another person's voting, it shall be prohibited  to divulge it. 2. Controlling the will of the voters in elections shall be prohibited. It shall be prohibited to influence the  will  of  an elector  to  vote for or against any candidate  or  the  list  of candidates.  An elector must be provided with the  conditions  to mark  a  ballot in secret and without interference. It  shall  be prohibited  to act with the ballot in such a way that the  secret of voting might be revealed. 3. An elector must vote in secret. Article  6.  Announcement of the Date of Elections  to  the Seimas 1. Regular elections to the Seimas shall be announced by the President  of the Republic, and pre-term elections to the  Seimas may  be  announced by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania  or the President of the Republic. 2. Regular elections to the Seimas shall be announced by the President  of  Republic no later than six  months  prior  to  the expiration  of  the powers of the Seimas members. If,  with  four months  remaining  before the expiration of  the  powers  of  the Seimas  members, the President of the Republic has not  announced the date of regular elections to the Seimas, regular elections to the Seimas shall be held on the last Sunday from which at least a month  remains before the expiration of the powers of the  Seimas members. Regular elections to the Seimas shall be held no earlier than  two  months  and  no  later than one  month  prior  to  the expiration of the powers of the Seimas members. 3.  If  regular  elections must  be  held  during  military operations,  the  Seimas or the President of the  Republic  shall adopt  a  decision to prolong the powers of the Seimas . In  this event  elections must be called no later than within three months after the end of the war. 4.  Pre-term  elections to the Seimas may be  held  on  the decision of the Seimas adopted by three-fifths majority  vote  of all  the  Seimas  members, or announced by the President  of  the Republic  in the cases provided in Paragraph 2 of Article  58  of the  Constitution.  The  elections to  the  new  Seimas  must  be organised  within three months from the adoption of the  decision on the pre-term elections. The day of elections to the new Seimas shall be specified in the decree of the President of the Republic concerning regular elections to the Seimas, and in the resolution of  the  Seimas  or  decree  of the  President  of  the  Republic concerning pre-term elections to the Seimas. 5.  The  day  when  ballots are cast in  a  multi-candidate electoral  area  and  in the first round  of  elections  in  one- candidate  electoral areas shall be considered  the  day  of  the election  to the new Seimas. Voting by post, as well as on  ships and  in diplomatic missions shall be carried out on or before the election day as it is provided for in this Law. The term which is calculated from the election day and may be implemented only when the  election  results  are publicised shall  be  started  to  be calculated from the day of publicising the election results. 6. The date of repeat voting, new or repeat elections in  a one-candidate  electoral area shall be announced by  the  Central Electoral  Committee in cases provided in this Law no later  than within  15  days  from the day when the necessity  to  hold  such elections has occurred, unless otherwise provided in this Law. Article 7. Making the Preparation and Execution of Elections Public 1.  Public  notice of a meeting of the electoral  committee shall  be  given  on the notice board placed in the  building  in which the electoral committee office is situated, and the members of  this electoral committee shall be personally informed thereof no later than 24 hours prior to the beginning of the meeting. The Central  Electoral Committee shall additionally inform  the  mass media  through  the Lithuanian Telegram Agency (ELTA)  about  its meetings  where the following matters shall be decided: dates  of new  and  repeat  elections; establishment of the  boundaries  of electoral areas; formation and change of the composition  of  the committees of electoral areas; registration of candidates; issues determined  by  drawing lots; establishment of election  results, final  election results; termination of the powers  of  a  Seimas member  before the expiration of the term of office;  recognition of the powers of a new Seimas member, as well as consideration of disputes concerning the election campaign and violations  of  the Law on Elections. 2.  Meetings  and voting of electoral committees  shall  be open,  the  following  may  observe  them:  representatives   and observers  of  parties, political organisations,  candidates  for Seimas  member,  upon presenting certificates of the  established form  or confirmed with the seal of the organisations which  have authorised them for that; representatives of the mass media, upon presenting employment certificates. A candidate for Seimas member may  participate in the meeting of an electoral committee  if:  a decision  concerning  his  personal activities  or  circumstances directly  related with his person is being adopted; the  chairman of  the electoral committee has invited him to participate in the meeting. 3. Persons present in the meeting hall may from their seats record,  write down in shorthand or take down everything that  is said  at  the  meeting, photograph or film, record  visually.  It shall be allowed to photograph and film, and record visually when it  requires  walking  about the hall or using  special  lighting equipment,  as  well  as  to broadcast live  meetings  only  upon permission by the electoral committee chairman. 4.  Electoral  committees cannot hold closed meetings.  The Central Electoral Committee may prohibit anyone from entering the workroom  of the service staff of electoral committees,  document safe-keeping   premises,   if  it  is  necessary   to   guarantee undisturbed working conditions of the staff, to protect electoral documents. 5. If there is a reason to believe that during a meeting  a threat  to  the  security  of  an  electoral  committee  or   its participants  may  arise,  the  chairman  of  the  committee  may instruct  the  police to scrutinise the documents, belongings  of the persons who enter into the hall, or to inspect the persons. 6.  The electoral committee may eject from the meeting hall the persons who hinder the committee in its normal work. Article  8.  Expenditures Related to  the  Preparation  and Execution of Elections The  State  and local authorities shall cover  expenditures related  to  the  preparation  and execution  of  elections.  The expenditures of electoral committees related to organisation  and execution  of elections and the work of the members of  electoral committees and the service staff shall be paid with state  funds. Maintenance  of  polling  places and office  space  of  electoral committees of electoral areas and districts, expenditures related to  acquisition  and keeping of the equipment of  polling  places shall be paid with local authority funds. II. Electoral Areas and Electoral Districts Article 9. Formation of Electoral Areas 1.  For  the  organisation and execution of elections,  the territory of the Republic of Lithuania shall be divided  into  71 one-candidate  electoral  areas, taking  into  consideration  the number   of   inhabitants   and   the  administrative-territorial division.  An  electoral  area shall  be  formed  from  electoral districts  which have common boundaries. The number of voters  in electoral  areas must be from 0,9 to 1,1 of an average number  of the  voters  in  all one-candidate electoral areas.  The  Central Electoral  Committee shall no later than 95  days  prior  to  the election  establish  and  no later than  90  days  prior  to  the election  publish in the Valstybës Þinios the list  of  electoral districts  forming  an  electoral area, addresses  and  telephone numbers  of  their  polling  places,  number  of  voters  in  the electoral  area,  and  the address and  telephone  number  of  an electoral committee of the electoral area. 2.  One multi-candidate electoral area shall also be formed where  all citizens of the Republic of Lithuania having the right to vote shall cast their vote. 70 Seimas members shall be elected in  the  said electoral area according to the proportional system of elections. Article 10. Formation of Electoral Districts 1. Taking into consideration the convenience for a voter to reach  a  polling place and the number of voters, territories  of cities and regions shall be divided into electoral districts. 2.  The  division of the territory of a town,  region  into electoral districts shall be approved and changed by the  Central Electoral  Committee  on the recommendation  of  the  mayor.  The Central Electoral Committee shall publish in the Valstybës Þinios a list of approved electoral districts and changes made therein. 3. No more than 5,000 voters may reside in the territory of an electoral district. 4.  The boundaries of an electoral district, address  of  a polling place shall be changed when necessary, but no later  than 100  days prior to the election. In the recommendation to approve the division of the territory of a local authority into electoral districts, the town, region mayor shall specify the following:  a proposed  name  of  an electoral district, addresses  forming  an electoral  district,  number of voters in  the  formed  district, address  and  telephone number of a polling place. Changes  which are  proposed to be made shall be specified in the recommendation to change the division of the territory of a local authority into electoral districts. No later than 100 prior to the election  the mayor shall also inform the Central Electoral Committee about new addresses, changed addresses or addresses which are no longer  in effect, as well as approve the addresses and telephone numbers of polling places. III. ORGANISATION of Elections Article 11. Electoral Committees 1. Elections to the Seimas shall be organised and conducted by: 1) the Central Electoral Committee; 2) the electoral committees of electoral areas; and 3) the electoral committees of electoral districts. 2. A citizen of the Republic of Lithuania may be proposed to the  electoral committee provided he has the right to be  elected as  Seimas member (without taking into consideration the  minimum age  limit set for a candidate for Seimas member, but who is  not younger  than 18 years of age on the election day)  and  has  not been  removed from the electoral committee due to the  violations of laws on elections or referendum. 3.  The same person cannot concurrently be: a member of the electoral  committee  and  a  candidate  for  Seimas  member;   a candidate for Seimas member and a representative for elections; a representative  for the election and a member  of  the  electoral committee; a candidate for Seimas member and an observer  of  the elections; a member of the electoral committee and an observer of the  elections. Provided that a member of the electoral committee is  willing to be a candidate for Seimas member, he must no later than  10  days  prior to giving consent to become a candidate  or starting  collecting signatures of citizens resign from the  post of  a  member  of the electoral committee. If the member  of  the electoral  committee has not done so, he shall be  relieved  from the electoral committee for the violation of the Law on Elections and  shall be not registered or shall be removed from a candidate for Seimas member. Article 12. Formation of the Central Electoral Committee 1.  The  Central Electoral Committee shall be  the  supreme standing  institution for the organisation of  elections  to  the Seimas  of  the Republic of Lithuania, President of the Republic, municipal councils, as well as for the organisation of referenda. 2.  The Seimas shall no later than 100 days and not earlier than  130 days prior to regular elections to the Seimas form  the Central  Electoral Committee for a four-year period. The  Central Electoral  Committee  shall not be newly formed  before  pre-term elections to the Seimas, its powers are preserved until a Central Electoral  Committee shall be formed before regular elections  to the Seimas. 3. The Central Electoral Committee shall be composed of: 1) Committee Chairman; 2)  three persons having higher legal education and who are chosen by lot from the six candidates proposed by the Minister of Justice; 3)  three persons having higher legal education and who are chosen  by lot from the six candidates proposed by the Lithuanian Lawyers' Society; and 4) the persons proposed by parties, political organisations which  have  received  mandates of  Seimas  member  in  a  multi- candidate electoral area. 4.  The  Minister  of  Justice and the Lithuanian  Lawyers' Society  may  propose more candidates for the  Central  Electoral Committee. 5.  The  drawing of lots during a Seimas sitting  shall  be organised by the Speaker or deputy Speaker of the Seimas. 6.  Parties and political organisations which have received mandates  of  Seimas member in a multi-candidate  electoral  area shall  each have the right to propose one representative  to  the Central  Electoral  Committee from the  one  list  of  candidates (joint  list)  presented  in the multi-candidate  electoral  area prior to the formation of the Committee. 7.  If  representatives meet the requirements specified  in Article  11, par.2 and 3 of this Law, the Seimas may  not  reject proposed candidates. 8. In all cases, persons appointed to the Central Electoral Committee from the candidates proposed by the Minister of Justice and the Lithuanian Lawyers' Society must make up more than 1/2 of the Committee members. If these persons make up less than 1/2  of the  members,  the Committee shall be enlarged according  to  the procedure  established in this Article by  drawing  lots  equally from  the candidates proposed by the Minister of Justice and  the Lithuanian Lawyers' Society, whose number must be twice  as  much as  is necessary for the additional appointment of members to the Central Electoral Committee. 9.  The Seimas shall appoint the Chairperson of the Central Electoral  Committee.  The Chairperson of the  Central  Electoral Committee  as  well  as  the members of the  Committee  who  were appointed  to the Committee by lot must suspend their  membership in any parties and political organisations which they are members of,  and  may not take part in the activities and carry  out  the instructions  of said parties or organisations while  working  in the Committee. 10.  The Central Electoral Committee shall elect the deputy chairman  and secretary of the Committee during its sitting.  The deputy  chairman shall be elected from among the members  who  do not represent parties or political organisations. Article 13. Verification of the Composition of the  Central Electoral Committee after the Elections to the Seimas 1. The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania shall within 100 days  after the first sitting of the newly elected Seimas  verify the composition of the Central Electoral Committee: shall dismiss and  newly appoint the Committee members proposed by parties  and political organisations, so that representatives of the  parties, political organisations which have received mandates in a  multi- candidate  electoral area shall be included  in  the  composition thereof.  When  necessary, the number of  the  Committee  members chosen by lot may be only increased by the Seimas. 2.  The  powers  of  the Chairman of the Central  Electoral Committee  and  the  Committee members chosen  by  lot  shall  be terminated in the following cases: 1) upon his resignation; 2) upon his death; 3) if he does not meet the requirements specified in Article 11, par.2 of this Law; 4)  if a sentence inflicted upon him by a court comes  into force; and 5)  if the Constitutional Court presents a conclusion  that the  Law  on  Elections to the Seimas or the Law on  Presidential Elections has been violated due to the activities of the  Central Electoral Committee. Article 14. The Powers of the Central Electoral Committee 1. The Central Electoral Committee shall guarantee the same application  of  laws on elections and referendum  on  the  whole territory  of  the  Republic of Lithuania. For this  purpose,  it shall issue the instructions for the implementation of these laws of  the  Republic  of Lithuania, the execution whereof  shall  be obligatory to all institutions and officers. The decisions of the Central  Electoral Committee may be changed only by  the  Central Electoral  Committee or an effective court's ruling. Institutions of State power and government, Seimas members and other officers, parties,  political or public organisations, as well as  citizens shall  be prohibited from interfering with the activities of  the Central  Electoral Committee related to organisation of elections or a referendum. 2.  While  carrying elections to the Seimas ,  the  Central Electoral Committee shall: 1)  divide  the  territory of Lithuania into  one-candidate electoral areas; 2) establish electoral committees of electoral areas; 3) accept application documents concerning the nomination of candidates for the Seimas, examine them, register the candidates, and announce the lists of nominated candidates who participate in the  elections and the numbers provided for them, as well as  the candidates nominated in one-candidate electoral areas; 4)  establish  the samples and forms of ballot  papers  and other  documents  used  during  the  elections,  as  of  well  as packages,  stamps,  and  samples for their  completion,  and  the procedure for sealing ballot papers; 5) manage funds allocated by the State for elections; 6) supervise the implementation of this Law; 7)  consider  complaints and adopt  resolutions  concerning decisions  of  electoral committees of electoral  areas  and,  if necessary, electoral committees of electoral districts as well; 8)  exercise  the functions of a electoral committee  of  a multi-candidate electoral area; 9)  establish  and  publicise  the  final  results  of  the elections; 10) issue certificates of Seimas member of the Republic  of Lithuania to the elected candidate; 11)  hand  over  vote  calculation  and  other  records  of electoral committees to the State Archives; and 12) execute other powers provided for in this Law. 3.  During  the  period  between  elections,  the  Central Electoral  Committee shall perform the functions of  the  Mandate Committee of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania: shall adopt and  announce  decisions upon termination of the Seimas  member's powers; acknowledge the powers of new Seimas members elected in a multi-candidate electoral area, call new or repeat elections in a one-candidate electoral area. 4.  The  Central Electoral Committee shall  generalise  the election-related   experience,   together   with   other    State institutions  propagate the importance of  free,  democratic  and honest  elections,  take care of the education  of  electors.  It shall  also keep in touch with the institutions of other  states, which prepare and organise elections in those states. 5.  The  Central Electoral Committee may not interpret  the provisions of this Law. If it is necessary to do so, the  Central Electoral  Committee shall appeal to the Seimas for the amendment of this Law. The Seimas shall consider questions submitted by the Central Electoral Committee according to the procedure of special urgency. Article  15. Formation of Electoral Committees of Electoral Areas 1. The Central Electoral Committee shall for the period  of elections form electoral committees of electoral areas  no  later than 85 days prior to the elections. 2. Electoral committees of electoral areas shall be composed of: 1) two persons who reside or work in that town, region, have higher legal education, and who are nominated by the Minister  of Justice; 2) two persons who reside or work in that town, region, have higher  legal education, and who are nominated by the  Lithuanian Lawyers' Society. 3) one official of "B" level who works in that town, region (one  from every town, region), who is nominated by the mayor  of that town, region; and 4)  persons  nominated by parties, political  organisations which  have received the mandates of Seimas member in the  multi- candidate electoral area. 3. The Minister of Justice, the Lithuanian Lawyers' Society and  the town, region mayor may propose more candidates.  If  the territory  of  an electoral area consists of the  territories  of several  towns,  regions, the Committee shall be formed  from  as many  officials  of "B" level as there are mayors  who  have  the right to nominate candidates. 4. Parties, political organisations which have received the mandates  of Seimas member in the multi-candidate electoral  area pursuant to the list of candidates (joint list) nominated in this electoral  area  shall  each  have  the  right  to  propose   two representatives from this single list of candidates (joint  list) nominated  in  the  electoral  area to  electoral  committees  of electoral areas. If the representatives meet the requirements  of this  Law,  the Central Electoral Committee may not  reject  said candidates. In the event that candidates have not been  proposed, the  Central  Electoral  Committee may  additionally  appoint  as members  of  the Committee candidatures who are proposed  by  the Minister  of  Justice, the Lithuanian Lawyers' Society  or  town, region mayor. 5.  In  all  cases,  persons who  have  been  appointed  to electoral  committees  of  electoral areas  from  the  candidates proposed  by  the  Minister of Justice, the  Lithuanian  Lawyers' Society and the town, region mayor must make up at least  1/3  of all  the Committee members. If these people make up less than 1/3 of  the  Committee,  the Committee shall  be  enlarged  from  the candidates  proposed by the Minister of Justice,  the  Lithuanian Lawyers' Society or the town, region mayor. 6.  If elections to the Seimas or to the municipal council, or  a  referendum are concurrently held on the same day, the same electoral   committees  of  electoral  districts  or   referendum committees shall be formed. The Central Electoral Committee shall form  a  single  - town, region, electoral area or  referendum  - committee in a separate electoral, referendum territory and shall establish   its  functions  in  organising  and  carrying   other elections or a referendum. 7.  The  Central  Electoral  Committee  shall  appoint  the chairman of the electoral committee of an electoral area. 8. During its first sitting, the electoral committee of  an electoral  area shall elect a deputy chairman and a secretary  of the committee. Article 16. The Powers of Electoral Committees of Electoral Areas The electoral committee of an electoral area shall: 1) inform the voters who reside in the electoral area about the boundaries of the electoral districts, their offices, working hours and polling places; 2) supervise the implementation of this Law in the electoral area; 3) form electoral committees of electoral districts; 4)  make up a list of health care, social guardianship  and care  institutions,  military units  and  places  of  confinement situated in the territory of an electoral area, and together with the  head  of  the  post office have care of the organisation  of voting by post in those places; 5)  draw  up the vote calculation records of the  electoral area; 6) consider complaints against decisions and actions of the electoral  committees of electoral districts and adopt  decisions concerning them; and 7) exercise other powers provided for in this Law. Article  17. Formation of Electoral Committees of Electoral Districts 1.  No  later  than  75  days prior to  the  election,  the electoral  committee  of an electoral area  shall  establish  the number  of  the  members  of  the electoral  committees  of  each electoral district, which must be a multiple of the number of the parties  and  political organisations which  have  the  right  to nominate  candidates for electoral committees. If the  number  of proposed candidates is insufficient or there is a vacancy in  the committee,  the mayor of a municipality in the territory  whereof the   electoral  district  is  formed  may  propose  the  lacking candidates. 2.  The  parties  and  political organisations  which  have received  the  mandates  of Seimas member  in  a  multi-candidate electoral  area  from  the  list of nominated  candidates  (joint list), as well as the parties, political organisations which have received  the mandates of members of municipal councils from  the list  of nominated candidates (joint list) in the elections to  a municipal council shall enjoy the right to propose candidates for the  electoral committee of an electoral district, but each party or  political organisation shall be entitled to propose the  same number   of   candidates  as  the  other  parties  and  political organisations having right to propose candidates. 3. Parties, political organisations shall submit their lists of candidates for the electoral committee of an electoral area no later than 62 days prior to the elections. 4.  Electoral committees of electoral areas shall  for  the period  of  elections  form  electoral  committees  of  electoral districts  no  later than 60 days prior to the  elections.  If  a candidate  meets  the requirements set forth  in  this  Law,  the electoral  committees of an electoral area  may  not  reject  the candidate. 5.  If  no  candidates have been proposed or  the  proposed candidates do not meet the requirements of this Law, or they have been  proposed after the set period of time, electoral committees of  electoral areas may alter the earlier established  number  of the  members of the electoral committee of an electoral  district or  to  address  the  mayor  to present  the  lacking  number  of candidates  for electoral committees of electoral districts.  The candidates  proposed  by the mayor may  not  be  the  members  of parties, political organisations or to become such members  prior to  the  expiration  of the powers of a member  of  an  electoral committee. If during a sitting not less than three members of the electoral committee of the electoral area shall, while appointing a  member  of  the  committee, object to the appointment  of  the candidate, proposed by the mayor, to be a member of the electoral committee  of an electoral district, this candidate  may  not  be appointed a member of the committee. 6.  Electoral committees of electoral areas shall appointed the chairmen of electoral committees of electoral districts. 7.  During its first sitting the electoral committee of  an electoral  district shall elect a deputy chairman and a secretary of the committee. Article  18.  The  Powers  of the  Electoral  Committee  of Electoral District The electoral committee of electoral district: 1) shall receive voter lists from the electoral committee of an    electoral   area,   provide   conditions   for    electors, representatives  of  parties and political organisations  at  the elections  to familiarise themselves with said lists, hand  voter certificates  to  voters or distribute them in  some  other  way, inform the electoral committee about inaccuracies noticed in  the voter list; 2) shall consider complaints concerning errors made in voter lists; 3)  may  observe  how voting by post is  conducted  in  the territory  of an electoral district, and control that  conditions for  voting by post would be provided in all health care,  social guardianship and care institutions, military units and the places of  confinement  situated  in  the  territory  of  the  electoral district; 4)  shall  have  care of preparing polling  places,  voting booths  and ballot boxes in due time pursuant to the requirements provided in this Law; 5)  shall organise voting in the electoral district on  the day of elections; 6)  shall  calculate votes and draw up the vote calculation records of the electoral district; 7) shall consider the complaints of the voters and observers of  that  electoral district on issues concerning the preparation of  the  elections, the organisation of voting, vote calculation, the  drawing up of vote calculation records, and adopt  decisions related to them; and 8) shall exercise other powers provided for in this Law. Article  19.  The  Oath and a Written Pledge  of  Electoral Committee Members 1. A member, chairman of an electoral committee shall start holding the position in the electoral committee upon having taken the oath or given a written pledge. 2.  The  members and the chairman of the Central  Electoral Committee  shall take the oath in the Seimas. The oath  shall  be administered by the Speaker or deputy Speaker of the Seimas.  The text  of  the  oath  of  the member, chairman  of  the  electoral committee shall read as follows: "I,  (name,  surname), member, chairman  of  the  electoral committee,  swear  to be faithful to the Republic  of  Lithuania, observe  its Constitution and laws, conscientiously and  honestly perform  my  duties in the electoral committee and  refrain  from actions violating laws and the rights of citizens. So help me God." 3.  The  members  and chairmen of electoral  committees  of electoral  areas and districts shall give a written  pledge.  The procedure for giving a written pledge shall be established by the Central Electoral Committee. The text of a written pledge of  the member  and the chairman of an electoral committee shall read  as follows: "I,  (name,  surname), member, chairman  of  the  electoral committee,  swear  to be faithful to the Republic  of  Lithuania, observe  its Constitution and laws, conscientiously and  honestly perform  my  duties in the electoral committee and  refrain  from actions violating laws and the rights of citizens. So help me God." 4. The oath may be taken or a written pledge given omitting the  last  sentence.  The person who has  taken  the  oath  shall subscribe to the prescribed oath. The oath shall be effective for the  whole  duration of the appointment to work in the  electoral committee. The person who does not take the oath, shall not  hold the position in the electoral committee. 5.  The oaths, written pledges of the members, chairmen  of the  electoral  committees shall remain in  the  custody  of  the institutions which have administered them. 6.  When  appointing  an electoral  committee  member,  the institution shall fix the date by which he must take the oath  or give  a  written pledge. The person who has not taken  the  oath, given  a  written pledge within 10 days after his appointment  or who  has  taken  the  oath  or given  a  written  pledge  with  a reservation, shall be removed from his position in the  electoral committee. Article 20. Organisation of the Work of Electoral Committees 1. Sittings of electoral committees shall be valid provided that at least three-fifths of the members of the committee are in attendance. Decisions made by the committees shall be adopted  by open  vote of the majority of the committee members participating in  the  sitting.  In  the  event of a tie  vote,  the  committee chairman's vote shall be deciding. Committee members who  do  not agree  with a decision shall have the right to state a  different opinion  in writing, which shall then be appended to the  minutes of the sitting and shall be an inseparable part thereof. 2.  Upon  the end of elections, the powers of the chairmen, members of electoral committees of electoral districts, electoral areas  shall be terminated. The decision to terminate the  powers shall  be adopted by the electoral committee which appointed  the committee  members,  when  this  committee,  its  chairman   have fulfilled all the tasks assigned to him according to the Law. 3. The chairman or member of an electoral committee who have taken the oath or given a written pledge shall be prohibited from any  form  of  election campaigning or attempts to influence  the voters' will in any other way. Individuals who have violated this requirement  must  be  dismissed from the committee  and  may  be liable according to the procedure established by law. Article  21.  Appeals  Concerning  Decisions  of  Electoral Committees which Are Adopted prior to the Completion of Voting 1. Parties and political organisations which have nominated a  candidate for Seimas member, a candidate for Seimas member,  a representative  for  elections, an election observer  may  appeal against  the decision of the electoral committee which  has  been adopted prior to the completion of voting: 1)  for  a  decision  of  the electoral  committee  of  the electoral  districts - to the electoral committee of an electoral area; 2)  for  a  decision  of  the electoral  committees  of  an electoral area - to the Central Electoral Committee; and 3)  for a decision of the Central Electoral Committee -  to the Vilnius district court. 2.  Appeals must be considered within 48 hours of when  the appeal  is submitted. Non-working days shall be included in  this period.  The decision of the Vilnius district court shall  become effective from its pronouncement. Article 22. Assistance for Electoral Committees 1.   State   institutions,   enterprises,   offices   and organisations,  as well as their officers must  assist  electoral committees in exercising their powers and must furnish them  with necessary information. 2.   State   institutions,   enterprises,   offices   and organisations,  as well as their officers must consider  requests submitted   by  electoral  committees  and  give  the   electoral committee a justified response within 3 days. 3. An electoral committee may employ the required number of personnel for assistance work. 4.   Local   authorities  of  towns  and  regions,   state institutions and organisations must provide electoral  committees with  proper  premises  and equipment  for  the  preparation  and execution of elections. Article 23. Remuneration of Electoral Committee Members For  their  work in electoral committees, the chairmen  and members of electoral committees shall be paid wages at the  rates submitted by the Central Electoral Committee and approved by  the Government. Article 24. Changing the Members of Electoral Committees 1. The chairman or member of an electoral committee may  be removed  from  his  position in the committee  by  the  electoral committee  which approved the composition of said  committee,  or the  Central  Electoral  Committee  upon  having  considered  the complaint  concerning the decision of the electoral committee  of the electoral area. 2.  The electoral committee may consider only the justified proposal  of  a  party or political organisation  to  recall  the member of the electoral committee whom it has nominated. 3.  As  necessary, new chairman or member of the  electoral committee   shall  be  appointed  according  to   the   procedure established by this Law. IV. Voter Lists and VOTER CERTIFICATES Article 25. Voter Lists 1.  For the organisation of elections, the following  voter lists shall be compiled: 1) voter list of the Republic of Lithuania; 2) voter lists of one-candidate electoral areas; and 3) voter lists of electoral districts. 2.  Voter  lists shall be drawn up twice - provisional  and final.  These  lists  may  be  used  only  for  organisation  and execution of elections. 3. The procedure for compiling voter lists must be such that every  citizen  of the Republic of Lithuania who is  entitled  to vote shall be registered in voter lists. No one may be registered in a voter list more than once. 4. For the organisation of election campaign, at the request of  parties  and political organisations which have  nominated  a candidate   or  candidates,  generalised  voter  lists   (without surnames  of voters, dates of birth, exact address of  residence) may be drawn up. The actual expenditures related to drawing up of said lists shall be paid by the party, political organisation  or a candidate who has ordered them. 5. The voter list of the Republic of Lithuania and the voter lists  of  one-candidate electoral areas which are drawn  up  and kept  by  the  registrar  of the population  register,  shall  be compiled  in magnetic media. The procedure and form of  compiling of  lists,  method  of compiling and the procedure  for  the  use thereof shall be established by the Central Electoral Committee. Article  26. General Procedure for Registering Citizens  in Voter Lists 1.  All citizens of the Republic of Lithuania who have  the right  to  vote  shall be registered in the  voter  list  of  the Republic  of Lithuania according to the data of issuance  of  the document (passport) confirming the citizenship, and according  to the  population  register  of the Republic  of  Lithuania.  Lists compiled according to these data shall be provisional. 2. Compiling, checking and execution of voter lists shall be organised by the Central Electoral Committee on the basis of  the information   furnished  by  state  institutions  and   electoral committees of electoral areas. 3. The following persons shall be struck from the voter list of the Republic of Lithuania: a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania who has died; a  person  who has lost the citizenship of the Republic  of Lithuania; and a  citizen who has been declared legally incompetent by the court. 4.  Provisional voter lists with changes done  therein  and acknowledged  in  the  procedure  established  by   the   Central Electoral  Committee shall be not more than 7 days prior  to  the election  approved as final voter lists. Changes in  final  voter lists  may be done only with the consent of the Central Electoral Committee. Article 27. Voter Lists of One-Candidate Electoral Areas The voter list of one-candidate electoral area shall be made in magnetic media by the Central Electoral Committee according to the  voter  list of the Republic of Lithuania and  the  place  of residence of a voter indicated therein, and shall be delivered to the  electoral  committee of an electoral area at least  65  days prior  to the election. Lists of voters residing abroad shall  be drawn  up  concurrently  and  shall be  delivered  to  diplomatic missions  of the Republic of Lithuania. A list of citizens  whose place of residence is unknown shall be also drawn up. Article 28. Voter Lists of Electoral Districts The voter list of an electoral district shall be drawn up by the  electoral  committee of an electoral area according  to  the voter  list  of  an  electoral area and the  place  of  residence indicated  therein,  and  shall be  delivered  to  the  electoral committee of an electoral district at least 55 days prior to  the election. A list of citizens whose place of residence is  unknown shall   be  also  compiled.  Voters,  ship's  crew  members   and passengers  who will be unable to return to Lithuania during  the period  of  voting by post or to be present on the election  day, shall,  according  to the procedure established  by  the  Central Electoral  Committee,  be registered  in  a  voter  list  of  the electoral district on the territory whereof a ship's registration harbour or the administration of a ship's owner is located. Article 29. Public Announcement of Voter Lists and Access to Voter Lists The electoral committee of an electoral district, diplomatic mission  shall,  at least 55 days prior to the election,  provide conditions for the voters to have access to voter lists. The time and  place  for  the  voters to implement  this  right  shall  be indicated  at  the  entrance  to the  premises  of  an  electoral committee, situated in the diplomatic mission. Article 30. A Voter Certificate 1.  A  voter certificate shall be a document issued  by  an electoral  committee  specifying  in  the  voter  list  of  which electoral  district  a citizen of the Republic  of  Lithuania  is registered. One cannot vote by post without this certificate. 2. A voter's certificate shall contain: 1) the name and surname of the voter; 2) the birth date of the voter (year, month, day); 3) the address of the voter; 4)  the  name and number of a one-member electoral area  in which the voter shall vote; 5) the name, number of the electoral district in whose list of voters the name of the voter has been included, as well as the address of the polling place; and 6) the consecutive number of a voter in the voter list of an electoral district. Article 31. Delivery of Voter Certificates 1.  The  delivery of voter certificates to voters shall  be organised  by  the electoral committee of an electoral  district. The  diplomatic  mission shall deliver  or  send  by  post  voter certificates to the voters who are abroad, provided that  he  has informed  the  diplomatic  mission  of  his  address.   A   voter certificate shall not be delivered to the voter who shall vote in a ship. 2. The delivery of voter certificates shall be noted in the provisional  voter  list  of  an  electoral  district.  A   voter certificate shall be either delivered to the voter personally  or to  the other person who lives together with the voter, or  to  a neighbour  of  the voter, who knows the voter and  undertakes  to deliver the voter certificate to the voter. The delivery of voter certificates to voters must be finished at least 40  days  before the election. 3. The voter who has not received a voter certificate in due time  or  who has received a voter certificate with inaccuracies, must without delay inform the electoral committee of an electoral district  in whose service territory he is residing,  about  this and  to  produce  his passport or other document  confirming  his identity  to the electoral committee. If the voter is  registered in  the  voter  list  of this electoral district,  the  electoral committee  of the electoral district must write out a  new  voter certificate to the voter and issue it to him immediately. If  the voter  is  not  registered in the voter list  of  this  electoral district, the electoral committee of the electoral district shall immediately  inform the electoral committee of an electoral  area about this, which must have care of registering the voter in  the voter  list  of  this electoral district. The  voter  certificate shall  be  written out and delivered to the voter following  upon checking the accuracy of voter lists. 4.  In  the  manner  prescribed by  the  Central  Electoral Committee,  the  electoral committee of the  electoral  area  may write  out a voter certificate to the voter who is registered  in the  voter  list  of another electoral area, provided  the  voter cannot return to the permanent place of residence to get a  voter certificate or obtain it in any other way. The voter must request this  in writing and present the passport of the citizen  of  the Republic  of Lithuania with the address of the place of residence recorded therein. Article  32.  Checking the Accuracy of Voter  Lists  before Drawing up Final Lists 1. The accuracy of provisional voter lists shall be checked when  transferring a voter from one voter list  of  an  electoral district,   electoral  area  into  another,  striking   from   or registering  a  voter  in  the voter  list  of  the  Republic  of Lithuania. 2.  The voter shall be transferred from one voter list into another  if  it becomes clear that the address of  his  place  of residence in the provisional list is incorrect or it has  changed after said list was drawn up. 3.  Transferring of the voter from the voter  list  of  one electoral district into another in the same electoral area  shall be  executed by the electoral committee of the electoral area and it shall inform the Central Electoral Committee about the changes made  in voter lists of electoral districts. Transferring of  the voter  from  the  voter list of one electoral area  into  another shall  be  executed  by the Central Electoral  Committee  on  the recommendation  of the electoral committee of the electoral  area and shall inform the electoral committees of electoral area about the  done  changes.  Only  the Central  Electoral  Committee  may register  a  voter in or strike him from the voter  list  of  the Republic of Lithuania in the cases provided for in Article 26  of this Law. Article 33. Registration of the Citizens of the Republic of Lithuania, Staying Abroad, in Voter Lists 1.  The  citizens of the Republic of Lithuania  staying  in other  states shall be registered in the voter list of  the  one- candidate  electoral area on whose territory the  Seimas  of  the Republic of Lithuania is situated. 2. A diplomatic mission of the Republic of Lithuania shall, at least 15 days before the election to the Seimas, submit to the Central  Electoral  Committee the  voter  list  compiled  in  the diplomatic  mission, as well as the data concerning checking  the accuracy  of  said list. This list may be supplemented  with  the voters  who  will  be  unable to return to Lithuania  during  the period  of  voting by post or to be present on  the  day  of  the election, and who shall vote in diplomatic missions. Article  34.  Registration of National Defence  Servicemen, Voters who are Aboard  a  Ship  and in Places of Confinement  in Voter Lists 1. Voters performing the active or alternative service shall be included in the voter lists of the electoral district on whose territory they permanently resided before they have been summoned for the active or alternative service. 2. Officers, non-commissioned officers and re-enlistees  of the  national  defence  system and the internal  affairs  service shall be included in the voter lists of the electoral district on whose territory they permanently reside. 3.  The voters who are aboard a ship and who will be unable to  return to Lithuania during the period of voting by post or to be  present  on  the  election day, shall be  registered  in  the additional  voter list of the electoral district in  whose  voter list the ship's crew is registered. 4.  Voters  who  are  in  places of  confinement  shall  be registered in the voter list of the electoral district  on  whose territory  they have permanently resided before they were  placed in  confinement.  If  a person who is in a place  of  confinement requests in writing, he shall be registered in the voter list  of the   electoral  district  on  whose  territory  the   place   of confinement is situated. Article  35.  Checking the Accuracy  of  Voter  Lists  upon Compiling Final Voter Lists, as well as on the Election Day If following the approval of the final voter lists, but  no later  than until two o'clock p.m. on the election day,  a  voter addresses  the electoral committee of an electoral  district  and submits  the passport of the citizen of the Republic of Lithuania with  the  address  of the place of residence  recorded  therein, which  is  attached to the territory of this electoral  district, but  the  voter  is  not registered in the  voter  list  of  this electoral  district,  the electoral committee  of  the  electoral district shall register the voter in the additional voter list of the  electoral district and shall allow him to vote according  to the  procedure established by the Central Electoral Committee and shall immediately inform the electoral committee of the electoral area about the voter's surname, name, personal code, his passport number  and  the address recorded in the passport. The  electoral committee  of  the electoral area shall check  if  the  voter  is registered  in  the  voter list of the electoral  area  and  take actions  to  guarantee that the voter would not be able  to  vote twice  or  the  ballot papers filled by him will be counted  only once.  If  the  voter has voted twice, only that  vote  shall  be counted  which  was  put  in  the ballot  box  of  the  electoral district. The other vote of the voter, received by post  or  when cast  according  to the additional voter list  of  the  electoral district shall not be counted. Article 36. Complaints Concerning Voter Lists 1.  A  voter  or  a representative of the party,  political organisation may lodge complaints about the errors made in  voter lists due to which the voter is not registered in the voter  list in  the manner prescribed by this Law or is registered in several voter  lists  with  the  electoral  committee  of  the  electoral district  no later than 7 days before the election. The electoral committee  of the electoral district must consider the  complaint and  adopt a decision thereon either immediately or within 2 days of  the receipt thereof, if more than 10 days are left until  the election day. 2.  The decision of the electoral committee of an electoral district  may  be  within 3 days appealed against  in  the  local court,  which  shall consider the complaint within  2  days.  The decision of the court shall be final. 3. Complaints and comments shall not be considered after the expiration  of  the  term  established  for  filing  comments  or complaints. 4. Electoral committees of electoral districts shall report to  the  electoral  committee of the  electoral  area  about  the received  complaints and changes made in the voter lists  by  the court's  decision, and the electoral committee of  the  electoral area  shall report to the Central Electoral Committee as soon  as possible but no later than within 12 hours. V. NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES FOR SEIMAS MEMBER Article 37. Nomination of Candidates for Seimas Member 1. The following may nominate candidates for Seimas member: 1)  in one-candidate and multi-candidate electoral areas  - the  party  or political organisation which have been  registered pursuant   to   the  Law  on  Political  Parties  and   Political Organisations no later than 35 days prior to the election; 2) in a one-candidate electoral area - every citizen of the Republic  of  Lithuania who qualifies to be elected as  a  Seimas member,  may  nominate  himself for Seimas member,  provided  his candidature  is  supported by signatures of no  less  than  1,000 voters of that electoral area. 2. In multi-candidate electoral areas parties and political organisations  shall nominate their candidates  by  presenting  a list  of  candidates  in which candidates are  recorded  in  such succession   as   established   by   the   party   or   political organisations.  Unless  the statutes  of  a  party  or  political organisation   provide  otherwise,  candidates  in  one-candidate electoral  areas  and  the  list of the candidates,  recorded  in succession, in a multi-candidate electoral area must be  approved at   the   congress   or  conference  of  the  party,   political organisation. The list of candidates must not include  less  than 20 and more than 120 candidates. Article  38.  Application Documents for the  Nomination  of Candidates 1.  For  the nomination of candidates parties and political organisations must file with the Central Electoral Committee  the following application documents: 1) an application for the participation in the election; 2)  copies  of  their  statutes,  amendments  thereto,  and registration  papers. The programme, election  programme  of  the party, political organisation may be submitted as well; 3)  the  list  of candidates nominated in a multi-candidate electoral area; 4)  the  list  of  candidates  nominated  in  one-candidate electoral areas; 5)  an  obligation  signed  by  each  nominated  candidate, provided he is elected, to terminate his employment or any  other activities  incompatible  with the status  of  Seimas  member,  a consent to be nominated by this party, political organisation  in a  concrete  electoral area, a questionnaire for a candidate  for Seimas member filled in by the candidate himself, as well as  the extract  containing the basic data from the income  and  property declaration, presented to the State Tax Inspectorate, approved by that   tax  inspectorate  to  which  the  declaration  has   been submitted. It shall also have the right to submit photographs and autobiography of each candidate; 6) a power of attorney for a representative for elections to represent  it in the Central Electoral Committee, it  shall  also have  the right to submit powers of attorney to represent it  and the  candidates  nominated  by  it  in  electoral  committees  of electoral areas; 7)  documents certifying that the election deposit has been paid; 8) if the party, political organisation nominated candidates or candidates' lists during the preceding elections to the Seimas or  municipal councils, it shall have the right to submit a  copy of  the  report published in the press, which had to be published in  pursuance  of  the laws on the elections to  the  Seimas  and Municipal  Councils, concerning the sources and use of funds  for the election campaign; 9)  a  copy  of the declaration concerning the last  year's financial  activities,  presented to the  financial  institution, which  had  to  be  submitted pursuant to the  Law  on  Political Parties and Political Organisations, and which is approved by the tax inspectorate to which this declaration was submitted, and  it may  submit  a  copy of the account (report),  which  had  to  be publicly announced according to the Law on Political Parties  and Organisations, concerning the budget receipts and their  sources, expenditures and their purpose; and 10)  a  copy of the declaration, submitted to the financial institution,  concerning  the  financial  activities   from   the beginning  of the current year to the day when 80 days  are  left before the election, which is approved by the tax inspectorate to which  the said declaration was presented, and may submit a  copy of  the  account  (report),  which has been  publicly  announced, concerning  its  budget receipts and their sources,  expenditures and  their purpose from the beginning of the current year to  the day when 80 days remain before the election. 2.  The person who has decided to nominate himself  as  the candidates  for  Seimas  member, must  submit  to  the  electoral committee of the electoral area the following documents: 1)  an application concerning his nominating himself as the candidate for Seimas member in this electoral area; 2) a signed obligation, provided he is elected, to terminate his  employment  or  any other activities incompatible  with  the status of Seimas member, questionnaire for a candidate for Seimas member filled in by the candidate himself, as well as the extract containing  the principal data, approved by the tax  inspectorate to  which  the declaration has been submitt …