l. The Voter’s Service Period and Provisional Voters’ Lists
The Voter Services period formally commenced at the end of June and ran throughout all Kosovo Municipalities until 6 August. An extract of data from the UNMIK Central Civil Registry per 6 August will establish the Provisional Voters’ List (PVL). The Voters’ List gives the name, date of birth and residence as of 6 August according to the UNMIK Central Civil Registry.
m. The UNMIK Central Civil Registry
The UNMIK Central Civil Registry was begun in 2000 for the first Municipal Elections but at the time remained incomplete and controversial. However, since 2000 it has been progressively improved and recent screening has shown it to be highly accurate, (200 mistakes out of a sample of 130,000 names.) However, since civil registration is not mandatory, the Registry is considered by those officials responsible for it, to cover only 80% of the population (clearly more accuracy could be obtained through a new census, the last more or less reliable one having been undertaken in 1981).
All voters who were registered on the civil registry during previous elections and those who registered since the 2002 Municipal Elections will receive polling station allocations automatically. Civil registrants wishing to amend their Civil Registry details may do so at the Municipal Civil Records Centre (MCRC). Further assistance may be gained through contact with the Municipal Elections Office in different localities.
n. The Challenge and Confirmation Period
The Voter Services will then be followed by the challenge and confirmation period (30 August–10 September), during which voters are able to challenge the provisional voters’ list, both to check their own details and raise objections to entries, to be considered subsequently through an appeals procedure. Voters also have the option to check their polling locations in the tri-lingual Kosovo Elections websites.
o. Polling stations
No later than 40 days before the Election, the precise location of polling stations should be clarified. CEC Rule 13/2004 makes a number of stipulations relating to polling stations, their location, the organisation of materials, including ballots, hours of opening and closing, different types of acceptable voter identity, counting arrangements, return of spoiled ballot papers, etc.
There should be one polling station for every 1000 voters. Polling stations are grouped in polling centres. There should be no party political propaganda in or around polling stations 24 hours beforehand and other provisions concern the presence of police and security forces in or around polling stations.
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