Elections in Armenia

Elections in Armenia are governed by the Constitution and electoral legislation. The system separates national parliamentary elections from local self-government elections and from the indirect election of the President. Citizens vote in National Assembly elections to determine parliamentary representation. Political parties and alliances present candidate lists, and seats are distributed mainly through proportional representation according to the valid votes received and the applicable electoral rules. The parliamentary result shapes government formation. The National Assembly elects the Prime Minister through the constitutional parliamentary process, so voters influence executive leadership mainly through their choice in parliamentary elections. The President is not elected directly by all voters. The National Assembly elects the President, reflecting Armenia's parliamentary form of government and the office's more limited political role. Local elections concern community self-government. Depending on the legal arrangement for a community, voters choose a council or participate in a process that determines local representation and leadership. Yerevan uses a council-based city system. Residents elect the Council of Elders through party or alliance lists, and the council-based process determines the Mayor rather than a separate nationwide-style presidential vote. The Central Electoral Commission, commonly called the CEC, administers the national electoral framework. Territorial and precinct commissions organize voting at lower levels, including voter processing, ballot handling, counting, and preparation of results. A typical voter checks registration and polling-place information, proves identity at the polling station, receives a ballot, marks it in secret, and places it in the ballot box. Election officials then count votes and record results under formal procedures. Core safeguards include equal voting rights, secret ballots, observation, documented counts, and legal complaint procedures. These safeguards reduce risk but do not make every disagreement disappear, so timely evidence and the correct review channel remain important.