Approved by Decision #27/103
dated on 27 May 2006 of
Central Election Commission
of the Republic of Azerbaijan

INSTRUCTION
on the rules for preserving official documents related to the conduct of elections (referendum) in the Republic of Azerbaijan

The rules for preserving and canceling official documents related to the conduct of elections (referendum) in the Republic of Azerbaijan shall be regulated by Article 111 of Election Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (hereafter referred to as Election Code) and this Instruction.

1. The rule for preserving official documents

1.1. Second copy of final protocol on the voting results of Central Election (Referendum) Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan (hereafter referred to as CEC) and the documents to be attached to it, first copy of final protocol on the voting results of Constituency and Precinct Election (Referendum) Commissions (hereafter referred to as Con.ECs and PECs) and the documents attached to it, financial reports of election commissions, final financial documents of the registered candidates, political parties, political party blocs, referendum campaign groups shall be preserved at the CEC at least within a year since the official publication of the decision on the appointment of the following election (referendum) pursuant to Article 111.2 of Election Code.
1.2. Second copy of the Con.EC protocol and the documents attached to it shall be preserved at the Con.EC Secretariat till the end of the commission activity pursuant to Article 107.5 of Election Code.
1.3. Second copy of the PEC protocol on the voting results and the documents attached to it shall be preserved at the commission secretary till the end of the PEC activity pursuant to Article 106.8 of Election Code.
1.4. Ballot papers and voting cards shall be turned over to the Con.EC 2 days prior to the end of the PEC functioning. Ballot papers and voting cards shall be preserved at the Con.EC within 6 months since the day of official publication of electoral (referendum) returns.
1.5. Voters’ lists shall be preserved at the CEC.

2. The rule for canceling official documents related to the conduct of elections (referendum)

2.1 After preserving second copy of final protocol on the voting results of Central Election (Referendum) Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan (hereafter referred to as CEC) and the documents to be attached to it, first copy of final protocol on the voting results of Constituency and Precinct Election (Referendum) Commissions (hereafter referred to as Con.ECs and PECs) and the documents attached to it, financial reports of election commissions, final financial documents of the registered candidates, political parties, political party blocs, referendum campaign groups at the CEC at least within a year since the official publication of the decision on the appointment of the following election (referendum) pursuant to Article 111.2 of Election Code, if these documents were not included in the list of the documents to be turned over to the state archive by the State Archive Office, then they shall be canceled by being burned.

2.2 Second copies of the Con.EC and PEC protocols and  the documents attached to them shall be canceled after the activity of the commission ends.

2.3 Third copy of the PEC protocol shall be canceled by being burned after having been hung on information board for 5 days.

2.4 Third copy of the Con.EC protocol and copies of the PEC protocols shall canceled by being burned after having been hung on information board for 10 days.

2.5 Third copy of the CEC protocol and copies of the Con.EC protocols shall canceled by being burned after having been hung on information board for 15 days.

2.6 Ballot papers and voting cards shall be canceled by being burned after 6 months since the day of official publication of the electoral (referendum) returns.

2.7 Voters’ lists shall be canceled by being burned after preserving at the CEC for 5 years.

2.8.The cancel of the documents considered to be canceled at the Con.ECs and PECs shall be implemented by the chairpersons of these election commissions upon the decisions of the relevant commissions and the cancel of the documents considered to be canceled at the CEC shall be implemented by the CEC Secretariat.