During the snap Presidential elections scheduled for 25 May 2014, 213 district election commissions will function on continental Ukraine. The Central Election Commission, which is authorized to organize, prepare, and conduct the election process, has announced that it's impossible to create DECs for the Presidential election in 12 territorial election districts in Crimea and Sevastopol. None of the candidates have submitted any candidacies to membership of DECs on occupied territories. Only precinct election commissions, where the voting is to be held, are subject to district election commissions. 33,000 PECs were formed for 2014 Parliamentary election.
According to the Article 25 of the Law of Ukraine on Elections of the President of Ukraine, the Central Election Commission shall register: candidates for the President (or refuses to register them if the submitted documents do not correspond to the requirements, or the monetary pledge in amount of 2.5 million is not paid); proxies of candidates; international observers. It also shall give permissions to observe for Ukrainian observers. The CEC is responsible for adherence to the legislation on the whole territory of Ukraine. It should also control the use of funds, create district election commissions, train and consult members of DECs, and acquire their functions if they are inactive.
District election commissions, according to the Article 25 of the Law of Ukraine on Elections of the President of Ukraine, shall control the adherence to the legislation within their district. They also register Ukrainian observers, control the use of funds form precinct election commissions and consult them, transfer ballot papers to the PECs, and acquire their functions if they are inactive. The DEC shall establish voting results in the district. However, the vote count is conducted by PECs. If the DEC receives written appeal or act regarding violation of the law on the transportation of election documentation (Article 82(9,11) of the Law of Ukraine on Elections of the President of Ukraine), it can count the votes repeatedly.
The whole voting process on a polling station is secured by the corresponding precinct election commission. It is obliged to send personal invitations to citizens, inform them about the location of the polling place, count the votes on the polling station, draw the protocol on voting results, and sent it to the corresponding district election commission.
During the election day, the CEC considers complaints on violations and reacts upon actions/inaction of DECs.
DECs, for their part, consider complaints on violations and reacts upon actions/inaction of PECs. If there is an act or written appeal on violation of the law during transportation of election documentation, the DEC it can count the votes repeatedly (Article 82(9,11) of the Law of Ukraine on Elections of the President of Ukraine).
During the election day, precinct election commissions verify voters' personality, their presence in the voters list, hand out ballots, watch the voters entering the booth to vote secretly, watch the ballot boxes, organize voting at the place of residence, and control people going in and out of the premises.
After the voting, DECs determine voting results at their polling stations, DECs – in their districts. DECs can also take a decision to recount votes. The CEC determines the general voting results, and terminates authority of DECs and PECs.
