Cyprus’ voting results concerning the European elections are expected to emerge around midnight, Sunday to Monday, as the election process must be over in all 27 member states, before announcing results, the Chief Returning Officer, Elikkos Elia said during a press conference on Friday, where he summed up all the information ahead of the European and local elections on June 9.
The announcement of the official results for the Elections of MEPs, as well as the local election results will be made on Monday morning and the proclamation ceremonies will take place on Tuesday, he said.
According to the Chief Returning Officer, the electorate totals 698,896 voters. Of these, 568,608 are Cypriots and vote for all elections. This figure includes 834 Turkish Cypriots with a listed address in the areas controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus.
Moreover, 26,755 EU citizens residing in Cyprus, who are registered on a special electoral roll are also entitled to vote in these elections. In addition, 103,281
Turkish Cypriots, who acquired the new identity cards of the Republic and who have a registered address in the Civil Registry system in the areas where the government of the Republic does not exercise effective control, are also entitled to vote for members of the European Parliament.
Voting centres in Cyprus and abroad
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A total of 1,864 voting stations will be open in Cyprus and abroad, Elia said. He noted that 4,643 voters have registered to vote at 17 voting stations that will operate in 13 cities in Greece, the United Kingdom and Belgium. Turkish Cypriot voters residing in the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus will vote at 32 special voting stations, which will operate in nine areas adjacent to the ceasefire line.
More specifically, voting stations for Turkish Cypriots will operate in the Nicosia District in Kato Pyrgos, Flassos, Astromeritis, Agios Dometios, the Central Offices of the Department of Town Planning and Housing and the Lefkosia Old Market City Hall. In Larnaca District, ce
ntres for Turkish Cypriot voters will operate in Xylotymvou, while in Famagusta District they will operate in Acheritou and Deryneia.
The Chief Returning Officer asked voters to familiarize themselves with the ballots in advance, so as to make it easier for them to exercise their right to vote. He said all sample ballot papers have been posted on the election website. A video has also been posted on the election website explaining the correct way to vote.
How to vote
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The Registrar clarified that all those registered on the electoral roll have the right to vote by showing either a voter’s booklet or an identity card of the Republic of Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots residing in areas where the Republic does not exercise effective control shall vote with an identity card of the Republic of Cyprus issued by the Civil Registry Department. EU citizens shall vote in the elections of Local Government Authorities by presenting either a voter’s booklet or the document on the basis of which they have been regis
tered on the relevant special electoral roll, and for elections of Members of the European Parliament by presenting the document on the basis of which they have been registered on the special electoral roll.
According to Elias, the voters can vote by marking one of the allowed “x” or “+” or “v” signs in the large rectangle below the party column or in the small rectangle next to the column of the individual candidate of their preference.
To be valid, the ballot papers must bear the official stamp of the Republic on the outside and the voter must have voted with a blue or black pen, which will be given to him/her at the polling station. If voters choose to vote for a political group, they may also express their preference for candidates of the political group by marking a cross or crosses of preference in the small squares next to the name of the political group candidates. It is clarified that preference crosses are not compulsory.
Ballot papers are regarded as invalid when they do not bear the official st
amp of the Republic, contain any letter or mark by which the identity of the voter can be established, when they are missing any essential part, when they do not contain all the political groups or individual candidates taking part in the election, when the voter has voted for two or more political groups or for political group and an individual candidate, when the voter has made any other mark or letter anywhere else other than the designated areas, when the voter has voted with a pen of any colour other than blue or black. In addition, a ballot paper is considered invalid if it is impossible to ascertain the will of the voter.
One ballot box for all ballots
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All ballots will be cast in one ballot box, Elia noted. “For the convenience of voters in exercising their right to vote and for the convenience of officials in the process of sorting and counting the votes, the ballot papers will be of a different colour depending on the type of election”, he added.
For the municipal elections, voters,
depending on the electoral roll on which they are registered, will receive up to six ballot papers and for the Community Authorities they will receive up to four.
Source: Cyprus News Agency