Parallel Vote Tabulation and Quick Count Carried out by Promo-LEX Confirm CEC Results

The results of the Parallel Vote Tabulation carried out by Promo-LEX, which excluded the diaspora votes, confirm the results of the Quick Count released on 1 December 2014 and the preliminary results announced by the CEC.

Promo-LEX observers found that, despite the long working hours on E-Day and the difficult working conditions, the vote count and tabulation of results were conducted in accordance with the CEC regulations. A great majority of protocols was completed without major errors. Promo-LEX appreciates the fact that, to a great extent, election officials were open for cooperation and showed good will in their work. However, Promo-LEX observers did not receive the tabulation protocols from six polling stations.

A statistical analysis of reports submitted by Promo-LEX observers shows that in 99.6% of the polling stations (1970 PSs) observers had free access to the stations, in 99.29% of the polling stations (1964 PSs) ballot boxes had been properly sealed, in only 2.12% of cases (42 PSs) there were instances of influence of voters to determine their vote, and in 91.49% of cases (1784 PSs) only one PSEB member presented the ballots during the vote count as required by law. Other relevant statistical data on the unfolding of the voting on 30 November 2014 may be accessed here.

At the same time, the failure of the State Voters’ Register application for registration of voters on E-day, the recorded cases of campaigning near polling stations, the organized transportation of voters, and the attempts to bribe the voters – shed a negative light on the E-Day and opened the door for criticisms to the CEC and other election bodies, from candidates. Other relevant details and description of the conduct of the voting on 30 November 2014 may be found here.

On the other hand, the Promo-LEX Election Monitoring Effort reiterates its earlier suggestions regarding the need to improve the process of vote tabulation. While analyzing the tabulation protocols, Promo-LEX found minor errors in 245 protocols from across the country. Some protocols contained calculation errors in more than one of the formulas used for the verification of results; errors committed for each formula were analyzed. Thus, of the 355 formula-related mistakes found in 245 corrupted protocols, 157 errors were admitted to the formula i=c+j, 87 – to the formula d=f+h, and 69 errors – to formula h=g1+…+gn. At the same time, the electoral administration in Moldova uses an additional filter at the level of district electoral councils to verify the correctness of compilation of protocols. These bodies identify the errors in the primary protocols and determine the lower-level electoral bodies to correct them as required by the electoral legislation.

Relative to the preliminary results announced by the CEC, these deficiencies in the compilation of protocols are minor and their influence or alteration of election results at the national level is ruled out. The results of the Parallel Vote Count conducted by the Promo-LEX Election Monitoring Effort are presented here.