YSK rules on “seal stain” controversy
The Supreme Election Board (YSK) in Turkey has announced that presidential ballot papers with ink stains on the front of the seal will still be considered valid. This news comes amidst complaints from party representatives about ink on the back of some presidential ballot papers in certain ballot boxes. After examining the applications, the YSK sent a message to all ballot box committee chairs stating that ballot papers with ink stains will be considered valid within the scope of Articles 98 and 101 of Law No. 298.
It is important to note that Article 98 of the Law on Fundamental Provisions of Elections and Electoral Registers No. 298 states that items without the correct shape and color given by the ballot box committee, without the seal of the district election board and ballot box committee, or completely torn are deemed invalid. However, envelopes with a watermark, emblem, and the seal of the District Election Board of the Republic of Turkey, even with stains or scratches, are still considered valid if they cannot be clearly understood to have been made for the purpose of marking.
Furthermore, Article 101 of the same law states that torn envelopes during the reading of the votes will not be invalidated if they are accidentally torn without damaging their integrity or stained in a way that cannot be understood to have been made specifically to mark the ballot papers.
Overall, this announcement from the YSK allows for greater flexibility in the voting process and ensures that all valid votes are counted, regardless of small ink stains on the front of the seal.
