YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Presidential elections launched in Armenia. 1988 polling stations of 41 electoral districts are open by 08:00. The total number of the voters included in the voters' register of the Republic of Armenia is 2.505.980 by February 17. There are seven contenders running for president in the Republic of Armenia. The names of the presidential candidates are introduced in the alphabetical order in the ballots. They are as follows: Hrant Bagratyan, Paruyr Hayrikyan, Raffi Hovhannisian, Andrias Ghukasyan, Arman Melikyan, Serzh Sargsyan, Vardan Sedrakyan. 

In a conversation with “Armenpress” the Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Mukuchyan stated that the commission will continue its activity via solely transparent procedures, as it used to do during the parliamentary elections. Among other things he noted: “Our informational centre will start functioning from morning in the Central Electoral Commission, where a number of briefings have been scheduled to be held with the representatives of various departments and governmental bodies. They will introduce their activity aimed at the organization of electoral procedure.”

The votes will be over at 20:00. Final results of the presidential elections will be summed up on February 25, 2013. A session dedicated to the results of the electronic votes is due to be held in the Central Electoral Commission at 22:00. The electronic votes were held on February 9-13 and were meant for 243 people. The electronic votes are meant for those voters, who are in service in the diplomatic and consular representations of the Republic of Armenia and for the members of their families who live abroad and are authorized to vote. After introducing the results of the electronic votes, first data will be received from the polling stations, which will be summed up, introduced to the Central Electoral Commission and immediately entered to the system. The data will be publicized on internet as soon as the Central Electoral Commission receives them. The voters can find information regarding the results of the votes from the website of the Central Electoral Commission.

Local and international NGO’s will follow the course of the presidential elections. 632 observers of 12 international organizations and 6251 observers of 26 local organizations will conduct observation mission.