Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections

Праваабарончы цэнтр «Вясна» беларускі хельсінкскі камітэт

CEC restricts access to lists of members of precinct commissions "for security purposes"

The Central Election Commission has classified the names of precinct commissions’ members. The Zerkalo.io journalist was told about this on the state body’s hotline.

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The photo is for illustrative purposes only

According to the CEC representative, the decision had been made “for security purposes”, because precinct commissions’ members had received a lot of threats in 2020, as their names had been in the public domain: “Everyone who wanted to, while in Belarus or abroad, thought it was necessary to write them something, some kind of threat.” The hotline worker also added that by coming to the polling station, voters would be able to see all the commission members.

The CEC representative avoided the journalist’s question of whether such a decision violates the law.

However, according to Article 34 of the Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus, the decision on the formation of commissions must specify “the surname, name, patronymic of each member of the commission, the method of nomination to the commission, location and telephone numbers of the commission.”


The main day of the nationwide voting on amendments and additions to the Constitution is February 27. Early voting will be held from February 22 to February 26 inclusive. The only question for the referendum is: “Do you accept the amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus?”

"Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections"