MINSK, 22 February (BelTA) – Early voting for the constitutional referendum has started in Belarus. It will be running from 22 to 26 February. It will be meant for voters unable to vote on election day, 27 February, BelTA informs.

A total of 5,510 polling stations have been set up in Belarus, including 883 in Brest Oblast, 714 in Vitebsk Oblast, 977 in Gomel Oblast, 608 in Grodno Oblast, 929 in Minsk Oblast, 707 in Mogilev Oblast, and 692 in the city of Minsk. A total of 217 polling places were arranged in sanatoriums and health resorts, hospitals and other healthcare facilities providing inpatient medical care, 12 in military units.

Polling stations will be open from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00. A voter does not have to provide an excuse to vote early. It is enough to present a passport, a driving license, a military ID for conscripts, a civil service pass, a pension or a disability ID if it has a photo, a student ID. If a passport was lost or stolen, a voter should present a document proving it. The document should be issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Each voter will see only one question in the ballot paper: do you accept amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus?

Voters need to mark their vote on the ballot paper by placing any sign in one of the two squares - ‘for' or ‘against'. If a mark is placed in both squares or in none of them, such a ballot will be declared invalid.

The referendum shall be held by universal and equal suffrage and by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors. The voting age in Belarus is 18. Voters shall cast ballots in person.

The referendum is considered valid if more than a half of the voting eligible population casts their ballot.