What is the State Election Commission (SEC)?

Who is Eligible to Vote?

Every individual who has reached the age of majority and is registered in the electoral roll, possessing a valid identity card or passport, has the right to vote. Voting is conducted in person.

Upon arrival at the polling station, the citizen’s identification documents are first verified, after which the voter signs the electoral roll. Subsequently, a member of the electoral board issues a ballot paper, which must bear an official stamp on its front side.

Apart from a valid identity card or passport, other documents such as driver’s licenses, health insurance booklets, student or pupil identification cards, and similar forms of identification are not accepted for voting purposes.

According to the instructions issued by the State Election Commission (SEC), when establishing personal identity, the voter is obliged to present themselves before the electoral board in a manner consistent with the photograph displayed on the identification document. Representatives of the submitting parties and accredited observers are permitted to closely monitor the identification verification process of the voter.

If it is determined that a voter’s name does not appear in the electoral roll extracts, the members of the Electoral Board are obliged to direct the voter to the competent regional office of the State Election Commission (SEC) and advise them to visit the website https://izbirackispsiok.gov.mk/ to verify their registration status and, if registered, identify the designated polling station where they are entitled to vote.

Should a voter listed in the electoral roll be illiterate or have a physical disability, they shall provide a fingerprint of their right index finger in the space reserved for a signature on the electoral roll.

No elector shall be permitted to vote who refuses to sign the electoral register.

Voting shall take place behind the voting screen by marking the serial number preceding the candidate list of choice, exclusively using a blue ink pen. Should the elector make an error, no replacement ballot paper shall be issued. The folded ballot paper must be deposited into the ballot box. Under no circumstances shall the elector be allowed to leave the polling station without first placing the ballot into the box.

Only one elector shall be permitted behind a single voting screen at any given time, except in cases where the elector requires assistance. Persons with physical disabilities and illiterate voters, pursuant to the Electoral Code, are entitled to be accompanied by an individual of their choosing to assist them during the voting process.

Family and group voting, as well as voting on behalf of another person, are strictly prohibited.

Any violation of the secrecy of the ballot constitutes a criminal offense in the Republic of North Macedonia. The Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia guarantees the right of voters to a secret ballot. Family and group voting, as well as voting in the name of another, are expressly forbidden. Members of the electoral commissions are obliged to prevent any attempts to breach the secrecy of the vote.

Family and group voting, along with voting on behalf of another, constitute violations of electoral rights, undermine the secrecy of the voting process, and may lead to the annulment of the elections.

Any member of an electoral body acting in contravention of the provisions of the Electoral Code may be subject to a misdemeanor charge and fined in the amount ranging from one thousand to three thousand euros, converted into the equivalent in Macedonian denars. A fine ranging from seven hundred fifty to two thousand two hundred fifty euros, likewise converted into denar equivalent, shall be imposed on any individual who votes multiple times or votes on behalf of another person.

Voting concludes at 19:00 hours.

Polling stations shall close promptly at 19:00 hours; however, all individuals present within the premises at that time shall be permitted to cast their ballots.

Voting may be suspended if order at the polling station is disrupted, until such order is restored, in cases of adverse weather conditions or other extraordinary circumstances, if police assistance is required to secure access to the polling station and such assistance is either unavailable or not rendered despite a request.

Should the suspension of voting last less than one hour, the voting hours shall not be extended beyond 19:00 hours. Conversely, if the interruption exceeds three hours, voting shall not be resumed on the same day.

Authorized representatives of candidate lists, observers, and voters present at polling stations on election day are strictly prohibited from using mobile phones, cameras, or any other devices to photograph the ballot paper. The electoral board is entitled to remove any individual from the polling station who fails to comply with this prohibition.

Vote Counting

The electoral boards shall submit the protocols and other electoral materials to the Municipal Election Commissions (MEC) within five hours following the conclusion of the voting process. Subsequently, the competent MEC consolidates the voting results, prepares the official protocols, and forwards them to the State Election Commission (SEC).

The SEC publishes the preliminary election results received electronically on a rolling basis, while the results from the MEC protocols are published within 12 hours after the conclusion of the elections.

The SEC announces the final election results within 24 hours from the day their finality is established.

Complaints

Any candidate list submitter involved in the voting process, counting, and determination of election results may file an objection with the State Election Commission (SEC) within 48 hours following the conclusion of voting or the publication of preliminary results. The SEC is obliged to issue a decision on the objection within 48 hours of its receipt.

An appeal against the SEC’s decision may be submitted to the Administrative Court within 24 hours from the receipt of the decision. The Administrative Court of the Republic of North Macedonia is required to render a ruling on the appeal within 48 hours of its receipt.

Any voter whose electoral rights have been violated during the voting process may file an objection with the SEC within 24 hours. The SEC must render a decision within four hours of receiving such an objection.

An appeal against the SEC’s decision may be submitted by the voter within 24 hours from receipt to the Administrative Court of the Republic of North Macedonia, which, in turn, is obliged to issue a ruling within 48 hours of receipt.

The SEC may, ex officio or upon a filed objection, annul the voting at a polling station by decision, in certain cases as stipulated by the Electoral Code.

An appeal against the decision annulling the vote may be submitted to the Administrative Court of the Republic of North Macedonia within 24 hours of receiving the decision. The Administrative Court is required to act on the appeal within 72 hours of its receipt. A repeat vote at the polling station where the vote was annulled shall be held 14 days from the date of the initial voting.