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Constitutional Court to decide on prisoners' vote in elections

2026-05-20 20:53:00, Aktualitet CNA

Constitutional Court to decide on prisoners' vote in elections

The issue of voting by prisoners in the municipality where the prison is located will be reviewed by the Constitutional Court, after the Electoral College suspended the implementation of the CEC decision and requested a constitutional interpretation of the law.

The College's decision came after an appeal by the Democratic Party, which opposed the act approved by the CEC in April 2026. According to this act, prisoners and persons in long-term health institutions would consider the institution where they reside as their place of residence for electoral purposes.

This would allow people serving sentences away from their civil residence to vote in the municipality where the prison is located. This very provision has been opposed by the opposition, which argues that a prison cannot be treated as a permanent residence.

In its decision, the panel decided not only to suspend the CEC act, but also to prohibit further consideration of the case until the Constitutional Court pronounces on Article 18 of the Civil Status Law.

The debate over the prisoner vote returned after the 2023 local elections in Rrogozhina, where prison votes directly influenced the final outcome of the mayoral race.

Following that precedent, the majority changed the law in 2024 by determining that prisons and long-term treatment institutions are considered residences for electoral purposes.

The Constitutional Court is now expected to give its final interpretation on the validity of this determination and how the right to vote will be exercised for persons in closed institutions./ CNA





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