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Good day and thank you for being here today, giving us the opportunity to convey through you, to the voters, important information regarding the upcoming elections on June 9th for the election of members of the European Parliament and Local Authorities.
We are essentially in the final phase of the electoral process. An effort that began many months ago by the Ministry of Interior, with hard work by all the Provincial Administrations, the Ministry's Election Service, as well as other state services in preparation for the elections, which, admittedly, are the most complex and special elections ever held in the Republic of Cyprus. This is why we have worked with great care throughout the past period, so that we are all ready to successfully respond to the mission entrusted to us by the State.
The legal framework concerning the upcoming elections consists of eight different Laws, with four of them forming the basis of the Local Government Reform, which will be implemented from 1 July by the individuals who will be elected through these elections. Key Election Dates
The elections will be held next Sunday, 9 June 2024.
The official results will be announced by the Chief Electoral Officer for the Elections of Members of the European Parliament and by the Returning Officers for Local Government offices on the morning of Monday, 10 June 2024.
The ceremonies for the proclamation of those elected will take place on Tuesday, 11 June 2024.
Election date
Elections to the European Parliament will be held in all Member States of the European Union between 6 and 9 June 2024.
Therefore, and until the voting process is completed in the remaining 26 Member States, no official result of the European elections can be announced.
Figures
New administrative map of Cyprus
Essentially, Sunday's elections mark the implementation of the ambitious Local Government Reform, which diversifies the administrative map of Cyprus.
Five new Provincial Self-Government Organizations are established, one in each Province of free Cyprus, with the aim of consolidating services to citizens.
A total of 20 municipalities are created, of which 18 result from the merger of 28 municipalities and 63 communities and the other two remain in their existing composition (Strovolos and Pafos Municipalities). The 20 municipalities consist of a total of 93 municipal districts
The 286 free Communities create 30 Service Clusters.
The nine occupied municipalities and 138 occupied Communes also remain.
Electoral lists
Elections will be held on the basis of four different electoral lists.
Registered voters
The electorate totals 698,896 voters.
568,608 Cypriots, of which 834 Turkish Cypriots with an address in the free areas, vote for all elections.
252 internally displaced persons vote for the Elections of Members of the European Parliament and the Occupied Communities.
The 26,755 citizens of other Member States of the European Union who reside in Cyprus and are registered on the respective special electoral rolls are also entitled to vote in these Elections.
In addition, 103,281 Turkish Cypriots, holders of identity cards of the Republic, residing in the areas where the Government of the Republic does not exercise effective control, also vote for the election of Members of the European Parliament.
It is noted that provision has been made for 313 imprisoned voters to exercise their right to vote at a special polling station, which will operate within the Central Prison.
Polling stations in Cyprus and abroad
For the purpose of holding the elections, a total of 1,864 polling stations will operate in Cyprus and abroad.
The smallest polling station has 34 voters, while the largest has 683.
4,643 voters have registered and will vote in 17 polling stations operating in 13 cities in Greece, the United Kingdom and Belgium.
Displaced voters will vote in 397 centres, which concern occupied municipalities and communities, as well as semi-occupied municipalities.
Displaced voters
from Kyrenia District will vote at polling stations in Agios Dometios, while displaced voters from Famagusta will vote at polling stations in Dherynia.
Turkish Cypriot voters residing in the occupied areas will vote at 32 special polling stations,
which will operate in nine areas adjacent to the ceasefire line, namely in Nicosia District in Kato Pyrgos, Flusou, Astromeritis, Agios Dometios, the Central Offices of the Department of Town Planning and Zoning and the Old Nicosia Market. In Larnaca District, centres for Turkish Cypriot voters will operate in Xylotympou, while in Famagusta District they will operate in Acheritou and Derynia.
Types of Elections
On Sunday 9 June 2024, the following eight elections will be held simultaneously:
[*]Members of the European Parliament [*]Presidents of Provincial Local Authorities [*]Mayors [*]Deputy Mayors [*]Municipal Councillors [*]Community Mayors [*]Members of Community Councils, and [*]Members of School Boards
These offices correspond to a total of 3.227 seats, for which there are 7,280 candidates. Fourteen Deputy Mayors have been elected unopposed, as well as approximately 42% of the offices in the Communities, i.e. Community Mayors and Community Council members.
Voter Guidance
Voter Guidance on Election Issues
All information relating to the upcoming Election has been posted on the Elections website at www.elections.gov.cy. The website is available in Greek, Turkish and English and all notices issued by the Ministry of Interior regarding the Elections are also posted on the website.
"Where and What I Vote" - Information Sources
Through the "Where and What I Vote" service, each voter, by entering his/her identity card number and date of birth, can be informed, specifically about his/her person, the polling stations where he/she will vote, the polls in which he/she is entitled to vote, as well as the number of preference crosses corresponding to each of them.
Between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., and on Saturdays between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m., there is a special telephone service for the provision of information to the public.
Citizens can also be informed of the polling station where they are voting by means of a text message SMS service.
All sample ballot papers have been posted on the election website. I invite our fellow citizens to visit the website and view the ballot papers to familiarize themselves with them to make it easier for them to exercise their right to vote.
A video, prepared in cooperation with the Press and Information Office, has also been posted on the election website, explaining the correct way to vote.
In addition, the website offers various electronic services relating to the election process.
Staffing of Polling Centres
Each polling centre will be staffed by a presiding officer, two to four assistants and a police officer, depending on the number of registered voters and the polls it will host.
As in previous Elections, polling stations are also staffed by unemployed graduates.
A total of approximately 12,435 employees, police officers and unemployed graduates are expected to work on Election Day.
Voting times
Voting on Sunday, June 9, will begin at 7 a.m., adjourn at 12 noon for a one-hour break, resume at 1 p.m. and end normally at 6 p.m.
Voting times for overseas polling stations have been set in a similar way, so that all polling stations will close at 6 p.m. Cyprus time.
Voting times for officials, candidates and leaders of Parliamentary Parties
For voting times for the President of the Republic, the former President of the Republic, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the leaders of the Parliamentary Parties and the combinations participating in the European elections, as well as the individual independent candidates in the European elections and in the elections of the Presidents of the Councils of the Provincial Self-Government Organizations have been scheduled.
Right to vote & documents for exercising the right to vote
All persons registered on the electoral roll have the right to vote upon presentation of either a voter's booklet or identity card of the Republic of Cyprus.
Electoral voters who are imprisoned may vote by presenting any official document of the Republic bearing their photograph.
Turkish Cypriots residing in areas where the Republic does not exercise effective control shall vote with an identity card of the Republic of Cyprus issued by the Population Registry System.
Community voters
shall vote for elections of Local Government Authorities
on production of either an electoral booklet or the document on the basis of which they are registered on the relevant special electoral roll, and for elections of Members of the European Parliament on the basis of the document on the basis of which they are registered on the special electoral roll.
In case of loss of an electoral booklet, it may be reissued by the Provincial Administrations until tomorrow at 1 p.m., and even on Election Day, already issued electoral booklets may be received by the Provincial Administrations.
Right to Vote & Voting Documents
All ballots will be cast in one ballot box. For the convenience of voters in exercising their right to vote and for the convenience of officials in the process of sorting and counting the votes, the ballot papers will be of a different colour, depending on the type of election.
In municipal areas, voters, depending on the electoral roll on which they are registered, will receive up to six ballot papers and in Communes up to four.
Displaced voters shall vote at another polling station for their occupied Municipality or Community with three or two ballot papers respectively. Also, voters in semi-occupied municipalities shall receive up to four ballot papers.
Correct way of voting
The voter may vote by marking one of the allowed points "x" or "+" or "√" inside the large rectangle below the column of the combination or inside the small rectangle next to the column of the individual candidate of his/her preference.
A blind voter or a person with a physical disability may vote on his/her own if he/she wishes or with the assistance of a person in his/her absolute confidence. He or she may also vote with the assistance of the presiding officer in the presence of an assistant clerk.
To be valid, the ballot papers must bear on the outside the official seal of the Republic and the voter must have voted with a blue or black pen, which will be given to him at the polling station.
If the voter chooses to vote for a combination, he may at the same time express his preference for candidates of the combination by marking a cross or crosses of preference in the small squares next to the name of the candidates of the combination. Please note that preference crosses are not compulsory.
As already mentioned, voters can use the "Where and What I Vote" service to find out about the preference crosses corresponding to each electoral procedure.
Invalid ballot papers
Any ballot paper which:
[*]Does not bear the official seal of the Republic [*]Contains any letter or mark by which the identity of the voter can be established. [*]Which is missing any essential part or which is incomplete. [*]Does not contain all the combinations or individual candidates taking part in the election. [*]In which the voter has voted for two or more combinations or a combination and an individual candidate. [*]In which the voter has marked any point or letter or number other than the specified points. [*]In which the voter has voted with a pen of any colour other than the blue or black pens provided for that purpose within the voting booth. [*]If it is impossible to ascertain the will of the voter
Special cases
Where a voter votes for a party combination and at the same time marks a cross or crosses in favour of candidates of another combination, the vote cast for that combination shall prevail.
In addition to this, there are other special cases that make a ballot valid.
Sorting and counting of votes
Sorting and counting of votes shall take place at the local polling stations immediately after the close of voting, with the exception of the special ballot box at the Central Prison and some ballot boxes in small occupied communities.
The sorting and counting of votes will begin with the Election of Members of the European Parliament and will be followed by the election of the President of the Provincial Self-Government Organization. Then, if it is a Municipality, the ballots will be counted for the election of Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Councillors and School Board Members. If it is a Community, the ballots will be counted for the election of the Community Mayor and Community Council Members.
The sorting of ballots begins with party sorting. The vote count sheet is transmitted immediately through the electronic system for sending the results to the Supervisor of Elections.
This is followed by the sorting of the preference crosses, the Tables of which are delivered together with the ballot box to the Supervisor of Elections.
Election Law Prohibitions
Tomorrow and on polling day, activities directly or indirectly related to the Elections are prohibited in order to allow voters to exercise their right to vote unaffected. The display of billboards or posters, as well as the dropping of leaflets and the display of slogans are also prohibited.
The publication of poll results has also been prohibited since last Sunday, while the publication of exit poll results must take place after the announcement by the General Election Commissioner that the polling stations in all polling stations have been properly closed.
Proclamation Ceremonies
On Tuesday, 11 June 2024, at 8:30 in the morning, the proclamation ceremony of the elected Members of the European Parliament will take place at the "Filoxenia" Conference Centre, followed by the proclamations by the Returning Officers for the offices of Local Government.
Press Office of the Chief Election Commissioner
On the day of the elections there will be a Press Office, here in the Press and Information Office Amphitheatre, from where all scheduled statements will be made, as well as any extraordinary announcements, if deemed necessary for any reason, for the information of citizens.
In closing, I would like to thank the Assistant Supervisor General for his professionalism and endless hours of work to make the June 9th Election a success. I also owe warm thanks to the Chief Election Officers and their staffs, the Director and staff of the Press and Information Office, my colleagues at the Ministry of Interior, all the staff who will staff the polling stations, the Chief of Police and the members of the Cyprus Police, the Deputy Director of the Government Printing Office, the Department of Information Technology Services, the Legal Service, the Ministry of Health, the Department of Electromechanical Services, and all Services which in any way contribute to the successful conduct of the Elections.
Allow me to thank the President of the Republic for his personal interest in ensuring the conduct of a smooth electoral process, as well as the Minister of Interior, Mr. Constantinos Ioannou, for all the support offered to me and the rest of the staff in carrying out this important task.
Warm thanks also to all of you, the representatives of the media, who contribute to the proper information of citizens.
I would like to take this opportunity today to call on all citizens to go to the polls next Sunday. The strong voice of our Cyprus in the European Parliament passes through our own hand. The success of local government reform depends on the choice of each and every one of us. That is why it is extremely important that we take a few hours of our time to determine who will stand up for us in the European Union and in every neighbourhood of our country.
Thank you for your attention and I am at your disposal for any questions.
(MKY/NZ)
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Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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