Palestinian Elections Law

Having seen the basic law of the Palestine Liberation Organization;

having seen the Law nº 5, of 1995, referring to the Transfer of Powers and Competences;

having seen the Electoral Law for the Council of Representatives nº 24, of 1960, and the Laws amending it;

having seen the Resolution nº 32, of 1960, of the Administrative Governor General, regarding elections in Gaza;

having the approval of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, with the participation of the Presidency of the Palestinian National Council;

having the approval of the Council of the Palestinian National Authority; and

based upon the powers bestowed in me,

I hereby promulgate the following Law:

Index:

• Explanatory Notice
• Part I: General Provisions
  • Chapter 1: Name and purpose of the Law
    • Art. 1: Definitions
    • Art. 2: The election of the President and the members of the Council
    • Art. 3: Legal framework for the interim period
    • Art. 4: The calling of elections
    • Art. 5: The electoral constituencies
  • Chapter 2: The Right to Vote and to Be a Candidate
    • Section 1: The Right to Vote
      • Art. 6: The right to vote
      • Art. 7: Electors' qualifications
      • Art. 8: Persons disqualified to vote
    • Section 2: The right to nominate candidates for the position of President of the Authority
      • Art. 9: Qualifications of candidates for the position of President
      • Art. 10: Nomination of candidates for the position of President
      • Art. 11: The President
    • Section 3: The right to nominate candidates for the membership of the Council
      • Art. 12: Qualifications to be a candidate for the membership of the Council
      • Art. 13: Members of the Council
      • Art. 14: Candidacy and the holding of public offices
• Part II: Electoral Registration
  • Art. 15: The right to be registered and the duty to register
  • Art. 16: The registration
  • Art. 17: Claims and relating to the electoral register
  • Art. 18: Appeal against the Polling Station Commission's decisions
  • Art. 19: The final electoral register
  • Art. 20: Access to the electoral register
• Part III: Electoral Administration
  • Chapter 1: The Bodies of the Electoral Administration
    • Art. 21: The election commissions
  • Chapter 2: The Central Election Commission, its National Election Office and the District Election Offices
    • Art. 22: The Central Election Commission
    • Art. 23: Independence of the Central Election Commission
    • Art. 24: Powers and competences of the Central Election Commission
    • Art. 25: Claims against decisions of the Central Election Commission
    • Art. 26: The National Election Office and the District Election Offices
  • Chapter 3: The District Election Commissions
    • Art. 27: The District Election Commissions
    • Art. 28: Powers and competences of the District Election Commissions
  • Chapter 4: The Polling Station Commissions
    • Art. 29: The Polling Station Commissions
    • Art. 30: Powers and competences of the Polling Station Commissions
• Part IV: The Election Appeals Court
  • Art. 31: Formation of the Court
  • Art. 32: Seat of the Court
  • Art. 33: Judges of the Court
  • Art. 34: Procedure
  • Art. 35: Jurisdiction of the Court
  • Art. 36: Time limits for claiming and appealing, and for adjudicating
  • Art. 37: Representation before the Court
• Part V: Electoral Process
  • Chapter 1: Nomination of candidates [to the presidency]
    • Art. 38: Registration [nomination] of candidates for the position of President
    • Art. 39: Claims
    • Art. 40: Publication of the lists of candidates
    • Art. 41: Representatives of the candidates
    • Art. 42: Agents of the candidates
  • Chapter 2: Nomination of Candidates for the Membership of the Council and their registration
    • Art. 43: Registration [nomination] of candidates for the membership of the Council
    • Art. 44: Claims
    • Art. 45: Publication of the lists of candidates
    • Art. 46: Representatives of the candidates
    • Art. 47: Agents of the candidates
  • Chapter 3: Partisan Entities
    • Art. 48: Registration of partisan entities
    • Art. 49: Requirements for the registration of partisan entities
    • Art. 50: Refusal of registration
    • Art. 51: Specifying the reasons for the refusal
    • Art. 52: The decision
    • Art. 53: Appeals against the rejection of registration
  • Chapter 4: Electoral Campaign
    • Art. 54: The electoral campaign
    • Art. 55: Campaign period
    • Art. 56: Coordination of the electoral campaign
    • Art. 57: Electoral propaganda in the media
    • Art. 58: Electoral campaign restrictions
    • Art. 59: Security of the electoral campaign
  • Chapter 5: Protocols, Ballot Papers and Other Electoral Material
    • Art. 60: Ballot papers
    • Art. 61: Envelopes
    • Art. 62: Distribution of ballot papers and envelopes
    • Art. 63: Ballot boxes
    • Art. 64: Places to vote in the polling stations [polling booths]
    • Art. 65: Register of electors
    • Art. 66: Protocols
    • Art. 67: Stamps
  • Chapter 6: The Poll
    • Art. 68: The Polling Station Commission
    • Art. 69: Presence of candidates' agents
    • Art. 70: Vote protocol
    • Art. 71: Sealing the ballot boxes
    • Art. 72: The poll
    • Art. 73: Electors' identification
    • Art. 74: Ballot paper marking
    • Art. 75: Security measures
    • Art. 76: End of the poll
  • Chapter 7: Determination and Announcement of Electoral Results
    • Section A: Counting of votes at the Polling Stations
      • Art. 77: Counting of votes
      • Art. 78: Counting of votes for the election of the President of the Council
      • Art. 79: Counting of votes for the election of the Council's members
      • Art. 80: Void and blank ballot papers
      • Art. 81: Delivery of protocols and ballot papers
    • Section 2: Preliminary [provisional] results of the election
      • Art. 82: Preliminary [provisional] electoral results in the constituencies
      • Art. 83: General preliminary results of the election
    • Section 3 : The Scrutiny and the Final Results of the Election
      • Art. 84: The scrutiny in the District Election Commission
      • Art. 85: Delivery of the protocols to the Central Election Commission
      • Art. 86: The final scrutiny at the Central Election Commission
      • Art. 87: Claims against the decisions of the Central Election Commission
    • Section 4 : Elected Candidates
      • Art. 88: The elected President
      • Art. 89: The elected members of the Palestinian Council
  • Chapter 8: By-Elections for the Position of President and for the Membership of the Council
    • Section 1: By-election for the position of President
      • Art. 90: Vacancy in the position of President
      • Art. 91: [By-] Elections
    • Section 2: By-elections for the Membership of the Council
      • Art. 92: Vacancy in the membership of the Council
      • Art. 93: Financing of the elections
      • Art. 94: Control of the financing of the electoral campaign
• Part VI: Electoral Offences
  • Art. 95: Offences against the freedom of electors
  • Art. 96: Bribery
  • Art. 97: Voting without qualification
  • Art. 98: Electoral material
  • Art. 99: Ballot papers and electoral protocols
  • Art. 100: Other offences
  • Art. 101: Members of the election commissions and the staff [of the electoral administration]
• Part VII: Transitional And Final Provisions
  • Chapter 1: Transitional Provisions
    • Art. 102: Elections in Jerusalem
    • Art. 103: International and domestic observation and press reporters
    • Art. 104: Dissolution of the Palestine Commission for Local Government and Elections
    • Art. 105: [opening and closure of the meeting periods of the Council]
    • Art. 106: [statement of assets]
  • Chapter 2: Final Provisions
    • Art. 107: Issuing of regulations
    • Art. 108: Notifications
    • Art. 109: Repealing of previous laws
    • Art. 110: [enforcement of the Law]