The Central Commission heads the system of electoral commissions and referendum commissions operating during the preparation and conduct of the elections and republican referendums.
In accordance with Article 33 of the Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus, the Central Commission, within its competence:
1) organizes the preparation and holding of elections for the President of the Republic of Belarus, delegates of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, deputies of the House of Representatives and members of the Council of the Republic, deputies of local Councils of Deputies, and the republican referenda;
2) exercises control over the fulfilment of the legislation on the elections, the referendum, the recall of a deputy and a member of the Council of the Republic throughout the territory of the Republic of Belarus;
3) provides explanations of the legislation on the elections, the referendum, the recall of a deputy and a member of the Council of the Republic for the purpose of its uniform application;
4) manages the activities of commissions for the elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus, electoral commissions, referendum commissions, commissions for conducting of voting for the recall of a deputy, hears their information, and provides these commissions with methodological, organizational, and technical assistance;
5) provides methodological guidance for the work on training and professional development of members of commission and other persons involved in the preparation and holding of the elections, the referendum, and the recall of a deputy, member of the Council of the Republic;
6) if necessary, decides on the merits of issues related to the competence of a lower commission;
7) forms constituencies for the elections of deputies of the House of Representatives and establishes the average number of voters per constituency in the Republic of Belarus;
8) appoints the elections of delegates of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, registers the elected delegates of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, publishes their list in the printed mass media, and convenes the first meeting of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly of a new convocation;
9) gives conclusions on the eligibility of candidates for members of the Council of the Republic, registers nominated candidates for members of the Council of the Republic, summarises the outcomes of the elections of members of the Council of the Republic, registers elected members of the Council of the Republic and publishes their list in the printed mass media, convenes the first session of the Council of the Republic after the elections;
10) Registers:
initiative groups of citizens to nominate candidates for the President of the Republic of Belarus;
candidates for the President of the Republic of Belarus, their proxies, and financial representatives, and issues them the appropriate certificates;
an initiative group of citizens for holding of a republican referendum and the issues proposed by it for the republican referendum;
an initiative group of voters to collect signatures in support of the proposal to raise the issue on the recall of a deputy of the House of Representatives;
11) ensures observance of equal legal conditions for pre-election activities of political parties, candidates for the President of the Republic of Belarus, for deputies;
12) determines the procedure to inform citizens about the progress of preparation and holding of the elections, the referendum, the recall of deputy, member of the Council of the Republic; determines the procedure for using mass media in the election campaign;
13) determines measures aimed at creating additional conditions for citizens with disabilities during holding of the elections, the referendum, the recall of deputy, member of the Council of the Republic;
14) draws up and approves cost estimates for the preparation and holding of the elections, the republican referendum, the recall of a deputy of the House of Representatives within the limits of funds allocated from the republican budget; creates an extra-budgetary fund for additional financing of expenses for the preparation and holding of the elections, the republican referendum and approves the regulations on the fund; distributes monetary funds allocated from the republican budget and the extra-budgetary fund between commissions for the elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus, electoral commissions, referendum commissions, and commissions for conducting of voting for the recall of a deputy of the House of Representatives;
15) controles the target use of monetary funds allocated from the republican budget, the extra-budgetary fund, the electoral funds of persons nominated as candidates for the President of the Republic of Belarus, candidates for the President of the Republic of Belarus; informs the House of Representatives on the expenditure of resources allocated from the budget for the holding of the elections, the republican referendum, the recall of a deputy of the House of Representatives; publishes a report on the expenditure of resources of the extra-budgetary fund, posts it on the official website of the Central Commission on the global computer network Internet;
16) establishes the forms of ballots and the list of citizens having the right to participate in the elections, referendum, voting for the recall of deputies, protocols of commissions and other documents on the elections, the referendum, the recall of deputies, samples of ballot boxes and seals of commissions;
17) ensures the production of ballots for the elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus and for voting on the republican referendum and supplies them to regional (oblast) and Minsk City commissions for the elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus and for holding of the republican referendum;
18) determines measures to ensure the safety of ballot boxes and documents on the elections and the referendum during the period of early voting;
19) hears reports of state bodies and bodies of public associations on issues related to the preparation and holding of the elections, the referendum;
20) in case of simultaneous holding of the elections of different levels, the elections and the referendum, may establish that lists of citizens who have the right to participate in the elections of different levels, the elections and the referendum are common for the elections of different levels, the elections and the referendum, as well as in case of simultaneous holding of the elections and the referendum may establish that territorial commissions are common for the elections and the referendum;
21) controles the provision of commissions with premises, transportation, communication, consider other issues of their logistic support;
22) summarizes the outcomes of the elections and referendums;
23) registers elected deputies of the House of Representatives and publishes their list in the printed mass media; convenes the first session of the House of Representatives after the elections;
24) issues certificates of election to the elected President of the Republic of Belarus and members of the Council of the Republic;
25) decides issues related to the second round of voting, repeat elections and the elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus in case of vacancy of the office of the President, as well as repeat voting for the referendum;
26) resolves issues related to the organization of the recall of a member of the House of Representatives and a member of the Council of the Republic, calls repeat elections of deputies of the House of Representatives, the election of deputies of the House of Representatives to replace those who have withdrawn, and ensures their conduct;
27) establishes the results of voting for the recall of a deputy of the House of Representatives, a member of the Council of the Republic;
28) considers complaints against decisions of commissions for the elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus, electoral commissions, referendum commissions, commissions for conducting of voting for the recall of a deputy and makes decisions on them;
29) considers appeals of citizens and legal entities on the issues of holding of the elections, the referendum, the recall of deputies, members of the Council of the Republic;
30) studies and summarizes the practice of applying of the legislation on the elections, the referendum, the recall of deputies and members of the Council of the Republic;
31) makes proposals on of the legislation on the elections, the referendum, the recall of deputy and member of the Council of the Republic;
32) carries out, in cooperation with other state bodies and other organizations, informational and educational activities on issues related to the implementation of citizens’ electoral rights;
33) establishes working groups and other structures for organizational, legal, and technical support of the elections and the referendum;
34) when holding the elections, the republican referendum, determines the procedure and types of incentives for members of commissions, apparatus employees of the Central Commission, persons responsible for accounting and reporting in commissions and and persons specified in paragraph 33;
35) establishes and develops relations with bodies of foreign states and international organisations dealing with the organisation of the elections and referenda;
36) exercises other powers in accordance with the Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus and other legislative acts.
The actual Central Election Commission membership has been formed on December, 2021, and it Chairperson is Igor Karpenko.