Those caught removing voting papers from polling stations face fines

A fine of €33 can be imposed on people who take ballot papers that they don't use in the upcoming general election out of polling stations, the Interior Ministry noted on Tuesday. However, the fine will hardly be enforceable if members of a local election commission fail to see voters carrying ballot papers away with their own eyes. The vote is secret, with people using a privacy screen. Voters will then put their chosen ballot paper into an envelope and drop it into a ballot box. They must put unused or incorrectly handled ballot papers into a sealed box that is designed for these. "Otherwise they'll commit a misdemeanour for which a fine of €33 will be imposed on them", warned the ministry. Meanwhile, the ministry admits that election commissions are unable to check whether voters have actually taken ballot papers out of polling stations. "Members of local election commissions will be obliged to remind voters of their duty to put unused ballot papers into a special box. They aren't authorised to check whether voters have removed ballot papers", the ministry's press department told TASR. A different situation will occur if commission members see voters leaving the polling station with ballot papers in their hands. "Commission members are obliged to remind them of the fact that they are committing a misdemeanour. If they refuse to comply by putting the ballot papers into the special box, a record must be made of suspicions of committing a misdemeanour. Misdemeanours in these cases will be dealt with by the district office, which can impose a fine of €33", stressed the ministry.