A total of 3 534 792 ballot papers have been printed, equal to the number of the voters inside the country, with 2 percent added.

A total of 53 parties, 3 pre-election coalitions and new parties are registered to compete for seats in the 140-seat parliament. The ballot paper feature 11 candidate lists of political parties and coalitions:

1-Democratic Party (DP)-led Alliance for Magnificent Albania

2-The Together Movement

3- Homeland Movement4- Euro-Atlantic Coalition

5- Socialist Party

6-Albania Can Initiative

7- Albanian National Alliance

8- Alliance for New Democracy

9- Right for Development

10-The Opportunity Party

11-Social Democratic Party (PSD)

According to the new electoral formula of open and closed lists, each political party or coalition has 186 candidates for members of parliament, with 46 parliamentary seats pre-assigned by party leaders on the closed list and 140 on the open list.

For electoral purposes Albania is divided into 12 electoral zones and the number of MPs for each zone ranges from 3 for the Kukës region to 37 for the Tirana region.

Electronic voting and counting will be implemented at all polling stations in Administrative Unit No. 10 in Tirana and in the Municipality of Vore.

CEC has established 93 Commissions of Electoral Administration Zone (CEAZ) throughout Albania. Some 10 vote counting teams have been created in Tirana, five in Fier, 4+1 in Elbasan and Kukes, 4+1 in Durres and Gjirokastër, 2+1 in Korça and Dibër, 3+2 in Vlore and Lezhë and 2+2 in Shkoder and Berat, or 37 teams in total.

In today’s elections, the eligible voters will be identified electronically by the voter identification equipment (PEI).

CEC has also decided to implement live and real-time video transmission system to monitor vote counting at every vote counting centre at the Central Election Commission.

Special Prosecution against Organized Crime and Corruption (SPAK), CEC and General Prosecutor’s Office have established joint central taskforce to ensure smooth conduct of the electoral process and prevent election offences. The State Police has employed a detailed plan of measures, while 6,838 officers and 813 specialists have been trained to prevent electoral fraud and protect election facilities.

A total of 5316 police officers and vehicles will be deployed to protect election facilities and escort the election materials. After handing over the facilities that will serve as voting centers on Sunday morning, the police officers will be stationed at the designated points and will return to escort the election materials towards the CEAZs, at 19:00 hrs.

Today evening at 18:00 hrs, the police will take custody of all the vote counting centres where the counting process will take place and will remain on duty until the entire process ends.

/u.sh/