This volume includes the reports presented at the seminar on "European standards of electoral law in contemporary constitutionalism" organised by the Venice Commission in co-operation with the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria in Sofia (Bulgaria), on 28 and 29 May 2004.Electoral law and co-operation with constitutional courts and courts of equivalent jurisdiction have been two of the main areas of the activities of the Venice Commission since its creation in 1990. However, this is the first time that the Commission has organised an activity of such a high level focusing on the role played by constitutional justice in the electoral process.The reports cover such fundamental issues as the advantages and shortcomings of different electoral systems, the case law of higher national courts on electoral disputes, the participation of foreigners in the electoral process at the local level, the electoral rights of individuals having the citizenship of other European countries and the possible development of electoral law within the European Union.
