Approved by Decision 27/132
dated on October 8, 2008 of the
Central Election Commission
of the Republic of Azerbaijan

RULES ON INSTALLATION AND USE OF WEB CAMERAS IN ELECTION PRECINCTS

These Rules have been prepared in compliance with Articles 40.1 and 100 of the Election Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (hereafter referred to as Election Code), and cover issues of wider implementation of transparency in elections (referendums) held in the Republic of Azerbaijan. 

1. Election process must be transparent as established by Article 40.1 of the Election Code. A new technological means – web camera (hereafter referred to as camera) will be used in order to ensure extensive implementation of transparency, to avoid illegal interference to the voting process and to increase public confidence in elections by watching the voting process on voting day by wide public. Proper implementation of duties by precinct election commission members, processing the election documents by them, creation of proper conditions for voters to express their wills freely without any illegal influence, casting ballot papers into the ballot box by voters, vote count, determination of voting results and other procedures shall be viewed by this equipment to demonstrate conduct of elections in line with requirements of legislation in election precincts.  

1.1. Use of cameras should in no way violate secrecy of voting during elections and referendums, as well as must exclude any control over the expression of wills by voters. 

2. Camera is an appropriate equipment intended to cover processes taking place inside the election precinct on voting day, except the voting booth, and to demonstrate the images on a mass scale by displaying them on the website of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan (hereafter referred to as the Central Election Commission).  

3. Cameras shall be installed by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, by request of the Central Election Commission.

4. Cameras must be placed and installed in required manner, function nonstop on voting day, the information must be obtained and transmitted in a secure way, and stored for the defined period of time.   

5. Use of cameras and other related issues shall be defined by relevant decision of the Central Election Commission. Control over the appropriate use and function of cameras shall be implemented by the Central Election Commission.

6. A static camera that will allow viewing only the area where it is focused shall be installed in polling station. The cameras must be installed in election precincts in such a way to be able to cover the desk where precinct election commission members sit and issue ballot papers to voters and implement other processes with election documents, and to cover the ballot box.

7. The cameras will be working nonstop starting from opening of election precinct on voting day until the closing of election precinct after voting results are determined and protocol on voting results is completed. In order to ensure the working condition of cameras, they shall be tested one day prior to the voting day in a relevant manner.

8. The following is prohibited once the cameras are installed: to move cameras; to change focus of cameras; to disrupt their nonstop functioning; to interfere illegally the process of obtaining, transmitting and maintaining the information, as well as tamper with equipment and means used these purposes; to cover voting booths and inside the voting booths. Violation of these rules imposes accountability considered by the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Approved by Decision 27/132
dated on October 8, 2008 of the
Central Election Commission
of the Republic of Azerbaijan

RULES ON INSTALLATION AND USE OF WEB CAMERAS IN ELECTION PRECINCTS

These Rules have been prepared in compliance with Articles 40.1 and 100 of the Election Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (hereafter referred to as Election Code), and cover issues of wider implementation of transparency in elections (referendums) held in the Republic of Azerbaijan. 

1. Election process must be transparent as established by Article 40.1 of the Election Code. A new technological means – web camera (hereafter referred to as camera) will be used in order to ensure extensive implementation of transparency, to avoid illegal interference to the voting process and to increase public confidence in elections by watching the voting process on voting day by wide public. Proper implementation of duties by precinct election commission members, processing the election documents by them, creation of proper conditions for voters to express their wills freely without any illegal influence, casting ballot papers into the ballot box by voters, vote count, determination of voting results and other procedures shall be viewed by this equipment to demonstrate conduct of elections in line with requirements of legislation in election precincts.  

1.1. Use of cameras should in no way violate secrecy of voting during elections and referendums, as well as must exclude any control over the expression of wills by voters. 

2. Camera is an appropriate equipment intended to cover processes taking place inside the election precinct on voting day, except the voting booth, and to demonstrate the images on a mass scale by displaying them on the website of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan (hereafter referred to as the Central Election Commission).  

3. Cameras shall be installed by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, by request of the Central Election Commission.

4. Cameras must be placed and installed in required manner, function nonstop on voting day, the information must be obtained and transmitted in a secure way, and stored for the defined period of time.   

5. Use of cameras and other related issues shall be defined by relevant decision of the Central Election Commission. Control over the appropriate use and function of cameras shall be implemented by the Central Election Commission.

6. A static camera that will allow viewing only the area where it is focused shall be installed in polling station. The cameras must be installed in election precincts in such a way to be able to cover the desk where precinct election commission members sit and issue ballot papers to voters and implement other processes with election documents, and to cover the ballot box.

7. The cameras will be working nonstop starting from opening of election precinct on voting day until the closing of election precinct after voting results are determined and protocol on voting results is completed. In order to ensure the working condition of cameras, they shall be tested one day prior to the voting day in a relevant manner.

8. The following is prohibited once the cameras are installed: to move cameras; to change focus of cameras; to disrupt their nonstop functioning; to interfere illegally the process of obtaining, transmitting and maintaining the information, as well as tamper with equipment and means used these purposes; to cover voting booths and inside the voting booths. Violation of these rules imposes accountability considered by the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan.