Back

Cyprus

Franchise & Registration

  • Franchise Age: 18
  • Compulsory Vote: Not compulsory
  • Eligibility Exception: insanity, imprisonment, disfranchisement by court decision
  • Right Vote Foreign Res: EU citizens right to vote for local elections or equivalent
  • Registration Type: Formal registration in office
  • Registration Basis: Residence requirement

Election Management & Enforcement

  • Nameof EMB: Ministry of Interior
  • Independent EMB: No
  • Who Runs Election: Government/National Administration
  • Nameof Elect Enforcement Body: Supreme Court

Candidacy & Campaign Rules

  • Restrictto Candidacy: Citizens can stand as a presidential candidate if they are over 35 years old, are eligible to vote, have not been convicted of “an offence involving dishonesty”, have not been disqualified by a court for any electoral offence, and do not suffer from a mental disability. Presidential candidates should be from the Greek Cypriot community.
  • Debate Average: 3
  • Debate Format: Multicandidate.
  • Campaign Length Minimum: Not Legally Determined
  • Campaign Length Average: 180
  • Opinion Polls Embargo: Embargo for longer

Electoral System & Organisation

  • Elect System Main Election: Majority
  • Main Election Type: Presidential
  • Main Election Cycle: 5
  • Numb Round Main Election: Two
  • Referenda_Law: Constitution of Cyprus 1960
  • Referenda_Binding: Wiki: Constitution of Cyprus has no mention of referendum (as of 2013). The only referendum to take place in independent Cyprus was a referendum on the Annan Plan.
  • Voting Machine: None
  • Vote IDRequired: ID check compulsory
  • Polling Card: Polling card sent but not compulsory
  • National Holiday Elect Day: Never
  • Dayof Election: Saturday
  • Districting Flexibility: Electoral Boundaries are the same as pre-existing administrative districts.

Polling Station

  • Average Voterby Polling Station: 485
  • Normal Opening Time Poll Station: 700
  • Normal Closing Time Poll Station: 18:00
  • Polling Station Numbers: 1136
  • Listof Polling Station Buildings: Electoral Law: NOT in private buildings, without a special CEC authorization; in buildings used by the public administration, except for educational, cultural and healthcare institutions; or in buildings used or owned, partially or totally, by a political
  • Accessibility Requirement: Party to UNCRPD. The law does not provide for the establishment of polling stations in hospitals, retirement homes or for mobile voting, which limits the right of elderly or bedridden voters. Partially addressing a previous ODIHR recommendation and in consultation with organizations for persons with disabilities, the election administration equipped a number of polling stations with special ballot booths that allowed persons with mobility disabilities to vote independently. Voters with other disabilities, including visual impairment, could request assisted voting. A voter requiring assistance could choose to be assisted by a family member or another trusted person, or jointly by the presiding officer and a polling assistant.
  • Ballot Box Transparency: Fully opaque
  • Box Feeding System: Voter
  • Vote Receipt: No receipt
  • Tellersor Party Employees: The election administration at all levels predominantly comprises of civil servants. The Ministry of Interior (MoI) is the main election management body for the parliamentary elections. The District Officers of six administrative divisions of the country are appointed as District Returning Officers and are responsible for the organization of the elections at the district level. They, in turn, appoint presiding officers and up to six assistants for each polling station. About 1,200 polling stations will open on election day. Women usually comprise about 75 per cent of the polling staff.
  • Count Locallyor Centrally: locally
  • Manualor Automatic Count: manual
  • Nature Counting Personnel: The Chairperson of the Election arranges for the counting of the votes in each polling place in the presence of the candidates or of the appointed written representatives of the parties

Ballot Paper

  • Ballot Type: Paper
  • Singleor Multi Paper Ballot: Single
  • Ballot Paper Type Description: Single ballot paper. Every voter has one vote to give to a party or to an independent candidate. In case the elector decides to vote for a party list he/she may additionally express his preference for a specific candidate or candidates of the list of his choice. Crosses of preference should not be more than two. The symbols indicate the choice made by the voter for a particular candidate/party. Symbols such as '+', 'X', or '√' are to be marked in the appropriate square box on the ballot paper. It is encouraged that voters use the pens provided at polling booths since only blue or black ink coloured pens are allowed to mark the ballot with. The use of any other colour of ink would render the ballot null.
  • Ballot Paper Type Photo Upload: YES
  • Ballot Photos: Freely Allowed
  • Ballot Logos: Freely Allowed
  • Orderof Candidatesor Parties: alphabetical

Remote Voting

  • Temporal Remote Voting: No
  • Geographical Remote Voting: No
  • Personal Remote Voting: No
  • Mobile Polling Stations: No

Special Needs

  • Provision Linguistic Ethnic Minorites: Bilingual Website
  • Provision Blind Voters: The Pancyprian Organization of the Blind prepares a template to mark the ballot paper for each election, especially at elections with only few candidates or choices; this is for use by blind voters who don't want to avail themselves of assistance from any sighted person. There is also voting assistance.
  • Provision Deaf Voters: Voting Assistance
  • Provision Motor Handicap Voters: Voting Assistance

Targeted Initiatives

  • Recent Major Changes: On May 31, 2017, the cabinet approved a bill abolishing compulsory voting in elections, formally ending a law that has been inactive for years.

Inclusivity Provisions