Section II Observing the parliamentary and municipal elections on polling day First: The stage before the commencement of polling 1. Article (19) of Decree-Law No. (14) of 2002 on the Exercise of Political Rights as amended, stipulates that, “Law enforcement in the headquarters of the committees provided for in this Law is vested in the chair of the committee, who may be seek the assistance of the Public Security Forces. The Public Security Forces may not enter the premises of the mentioned committees unless requested to do so by the chair of the committee. The candidates or their agents may enter the premises of the sub-committees.” Article (20) of the same Law followed stating that, “The secretary of the committee shall write down the minutes and record the decisions of the committee. The chair and secretary of the committee shall sign the minutes.” 2. While Article (21) of the above-mentioned Law stipulates that, “The referendum or election process shall go on continuously from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. However, if there are voters at the headquarters of the sub-committee, who have not cast their votes and wish to do so, in that case the ballot shall continue for such sub-committee only. If all voters registered in the list cast their votes before the end of the scheduled time for referendum or election, the chair shall declare the end of the polling process once the last voter casts his/her ballot.” 3. Article (27) of Decree-Law No. (15) of 2002 on the Shura Council and the House of Representatives, as amended, stipulates that, “All election propaganda activities in all parts of the Kingdom must cease 24 hours before the date of the ballot.” The second paragraph of Article (3) of Ministerial Decision No. (77) of 2006 on organizing the election campaign for elections of the House of Representatives and municipal councils, amended by Decision No. (42) of 2010, stipulates that, “… It is prohibited to hold electoral festivals and gatherings at a distance less than two hundred meters on all sides of the headquarters of the supervisory committees and the polling and counting committees. In all cases, electoral propaganda shall not interfere with security, decency, religious beliefs, or traditions prevailing in the society.” 4. With regard to the municipal affairs, the provisions of Articles (19), (20), and (21) of Decree-Law No. (3) of 2002 concerning the system of election of members of municipal councils and its amendments, bear, in substance, the same provisions regulating the electoral process of the members of the House of Representatives. 5. The NIHR’s team monitored the polling and counting centers during the first round and the run-off of the election of the members of the House of Representatives and the Municipal Councils. The NIHR observed signboards displayed at sufficient distances from the election centers to facilitate the voters’ access to such centers. Other election centers had the signboards displayed at a few meters away from the centers, thus, the voters were not able to locate the centers easily until they approached the signs. 80