Date of adoption: 3 December 2020 Resolution No 2 
Amended by Resolution No 24 of 25 October 2024

This Resolution was established under subsection 12 (6) of the Riigikogu Election Act.

1. General Provisions
1.1. The procedure and duration of the authority of the National Electoral Committee (the Committee) is provided in section 10 of the Riigikogu Election Act.
1.2. The Committee is located on Toompea Street 1 in Tallinn, and its postal address is Lossi plats 1a, 15165 Tallinn.
1.3. The Committee has a seal and document forms depicting its name and a small national coat of arms. The Committee may use the elections logo.
1.4. The Committee’s English name is the Estonian National Electoral Committee.
1.5. Information on the Committee is available on the web page www.valimised.ee.

2. Election of Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Committee
2.1. The Committee elects the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman from among its members by open ballot at the first meeting of the Committee, unless a member of the Committee requests a secret ballot. The candidates for the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman are submitted by a member of the committee. The candidates must consent to being put forward.
2.2. Each member of the Committee has one vote at the election of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Committee. The Chairman is elected first, and then the Deputy Chairman.
2.3. The candidate who receives the most votes is elected. If the votes are divided equally between at least two candidates, an additional round of voting is held. If the votes are also divided equally between at least two candidates in the additional round, lots are drawn. If there is only one candidate, they are considered elected if the majority of the Committee votes in their favour.
2.4. If the Chairman or Deputy Chairman of the Committee resigns or their authority as a member of the Committee terminates prematurely under the law, the election of a new Chairman or Deputy Chairman is held pursuant to the procedure provided in the Rules of Procedure at the next sitting of the Committee.

3. Authority of the Chairman of the Committee
3.1. Chairman of the Committee:
3.1.1. drafts the agendas of Committee meetings;
3.1.2. convenes the Committee meetings;
3.1.3. decides whom to invite to take part in Committee meeting; 
3.1.4. chairs the Committee meetings;
3.1.5. distributes the duties between the members of the Committee;
3.1.6. signs the Committee resolutions, voting and election results and Committee minutes on the results of a referendum, list of voters compiled for the elections of the President of the Republic and the President and Vice-Presidents of the Riigikogu, minutes of Committee meetings, and other documents;
3.1.7. organises the keeping and use of the Committee seal;
3.1.8. represents the Committee without special authorisation and has the right to transfer the authority;
3.1. 9. performs other duties provided by legislation.
3.2. With the authorisation of the Chairman of the Committee or during their absence, the duties of the Chairman are performed by the Deputy Chairman. While performing the duties of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman has all the rights and obligations of the Chairman.

4. Work format of the Committee
4.1. The work format of the Committee is meetings.
4.2. A meeting may also be organised by electronic means or by information exchange.
4.3. Committee meetings are public. The time, place or communication medium, and draft agenda of the meeting are published on the web page www.valimised.ee.

5. Convening Committee meetings
5.1. Meetings are convened by the Chairman of the Committee or, in their absence, by the Deputy Chairman or, in the absence of both, by the youngest member of the Committee (the convener of the meeting).
5.2. The first meeting of the Committee is convened by the Chairman or Deputy Chairman of the previous Committee no later than on the seventh day after the beginning of the term of the Committee. Until the Chairman is elected, the youngest member of the Committee chairs the Committee meeting.
5.3. The convener of the meeting decides the time and place or communication medium of the meeting and makes sure that the invitation and the draft agenda of the meeting are made accessible to the members of the Committee in good time, and that the documents needed for discussing the items on the agenda are forwarded. 
5.4. The Committee may commission studies, analyses, and expert analyses to perform its duties.
[added by Resolution No 24 of 25 October 2024]

6. Organisation of Committee meetings
6.1. The meeting is chaired by the Chairman of the Committee or, with their authorisation or in their absence, by the Deputy Chairman. If both are absent, the meeting of the Committee is chaired by the youngest member of the Committee until a new Deputy Chairman is elected. 
6.2. The Committee approves the agenda at the beginning of the meeting.
6.3. The Committee decides issues within its competence by a majority of votes in favour. If the votes are divided equally, the chair of the meeting has the deciding vote. The chair of the meeting votes last. If no member of the Committee who participates in the meeting requests a vote to be held, a resolution is deemed to have been adopted by consensus. 
6.4. Members of the Committee may not abstain or cast a blank vote. The voting is conducted by open ballot, except in the case provided in clause 2.1 of the Rules of Procedure. 
6.5. In cases prescribed by the law, a member of the Committee must withdraw from the discussion of an item on the agenda and the required quorum is lowered accordingly.

7. Organisation of Committee meetings by electronic means or information exchange
7.1. Committee meetings may be organised by electronic means or, if there are compelling reasons, the convener of the meeting may decide to conduct the meeting by means of information exchange (e-mail, text, phone call, etc.). 
7.2. Electronic meetings of the Committee may take place partly or completely by electronic means, without the physical presence of members of the Committee, in real time by two-way communication or other comparable electronic means that allow the members to follow the meeting, speak, and vote when resolutions are adopted. 
7.3. Upon request of a member of the Committee, they may be allowed to participate electronically in a meeting. Sufficient time allowance is made when announcing an electronic meeting.  
7.4. The State Electoral Office ensures that the persons who have announced their wish to take part in an electronic meeting have the possibility to do so.

8. Quorum of the Committee
8.1. The Committee has a quorum if at least four of its members take part in its meeting.
8.2. If a member of the Committee cannot participate in a meeting, an alternate member who has all the rights and obligations of a member of the Committee, except the rights and obligations of the Chairman or Deputy Chairman, stands in for them.

9. Resolutions of the Committee
9.1. The Committee adopts resolutions in order to resolve matters within its competence.
9.2. Resolutions of the Committee bear the title, the date of signature, and the number of the meeting. The numbering of the resolutions starts with the first resolution made by a new Committee.
9.3. Resolutions of the Committee are signed by the Chairman.
9.4. Resolutions enter into force upon signature.
9.5. Resolutions of the Committee are made public. 

10. Minutes of Committee meetings
10.1. Minutes are taken of Committee meetings. The minutes set out:
10.1.1. number of the meeting;
10.1.2 time and place of the meeting;
10.1.3. names of the chair, recording secretary, and participants in the meeting.
10.1.4. names of people who were invited to the meeting and participated in the meeting with reference to the item on the agenda they were involved in discussing;
10.1.5. arguments used during the discussions at the meeting;
10.1.6. resolutions adopted and voting results;
10.1. 7. dissenting opinions of members of the Committee.
10.2. The numbering of the minutes starts with the first meeting of a new Committee.
10.3. The minutes are written up within three working days as of the meeting.
10.4. The minutes are signed by the chair and the secretary of the meeting. The minutes are published on the web page www.valimised.ee.

11. Remuneration of members of the Committee 
11.1. Members of the Committee are remunerated for participating in the meetings of the Committee and for performing other tasks of the Committee on the basis of the rates established by subsection 12(8) of the Riigikogu Election Act. Work-related expenses are compensated to the members of the Committee on the basis of documents proving the expenses. The remuneration is paid at last once quarterly. 
[Amended by Resolution No 24 of 25 October 2024]
11.2. The time worked by the members of the Committee is recorded by the State Electoral Office. The Head of State Electoral Office coordinates the remuneration paid to members of the Committee with the Chairman of the Committee.
11.3. If a member of the Committee is sent on a mission, the Committee decides the duration and destination of the mission, as well as the amount of the expenses and daily allowance (incl. the advance payment where appropriate). After returning from a mission, the member of the Committee submits the documents proving their expenses to the Head of the State Electoral Office. The expenses are compensated and the daily allowance is paid from the budget for preparing and organising elections, on the basis of the procedure for sending an official on a mission established by the Government of the Republic and the procedure for organising work and official missions of the staff of the Chancellery of the Riigikogu.