WHO COUNTS THE VOTES? (Normative Analysis of the the Electoral Administration – Austria, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Serbia)

Abstract

The right to vote was written in the first documents of a constitutional nature – declarations of the rights of citizens, as one of the basic rights. It can only be achieved in free and legitimate elections, which must be conducted by the electoral authorities, which will enable citizens to fully enjoy this right. These authorities should be impartial and independent, and this can only be achieved if their composition includes legal and political experts, and people who have experience in the implementation of the legal process. Crucial is that such people are elected impartially and on the basis of expertise, because only such people can perform this important function. It is necessary to emphasize the independence and qualification of these bodies, because the future of the citizens and the state depends on the legitimacy of the elections.