1. The voting premises shall be placed at the disposal of a precinct election commission free of charge by the head of the appropriate municipal unit, and, if the charter of the municipal unit does not provide for an office of a municipal unit head, by a person authorized to do so by the representative body of local self-government.

2. The voting premises shall have a hall with booths or other specially equipped places for secret voting or rooms suitable for secret voting provided with a lighting system, tables, writing utensils, excepting pencils, and ballot boxes.

3. Inside or directly in front of the voting premises the precinct election commission shall set up a board for displaying samples of marked ballots and information about all electoral associations, electoral blocs which registered federal lists of candidates, about all registered candidates nominated by them and included in the federal and the regional part of the federal list and about all candidates registered in the given single-mandate electoral district, indicating the first, middle and last name, year of birth, education, main place of work or service and official position (and occupation if there is no main place of work or service), the place of residence of each registered candidate, information as to who nominated the given candidate. For candidates registered in single-mandate electoral districts these information materials shall also include other biographical data to be submitted by registered candidates, the scope of which shall be established in accordance with the decisions of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. If a registered candidate including a candidate on a list of candidates has a conviction that has not expired or has not been cancelled, the information materials shall indicate the number (numbers) and the name (names) of the article (articles) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the basis of which the registered candidate was convicted and the article (articles) of the criminal code adopted in accordance with the Fundamental Criminal Legislation of the USSR and the Union republics, the article (articles) of the law of a foreign state, if the registered candidate was convicted under these legislative acts for actions qualified as crimes by the current Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, indicating the corresponding law. If, apart from Russian citizenship, a registered candidate, including a candidate on the federal list of candidates, has the Russian Federation citizenship and foreign citizenship, the information materials shall indicate this fact and the name of the corresponding foreign state. Available inside the voting premises shall be the federal lists of candidates registered by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. Samples of marked ballots displayed on the board shall not contain names of electoral associations, electoral blocs which registered federal lists of candidates, names of candidates registered in the given single-mandate electoral district and names of registered candidates on the federal lists of candidates. Information about registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs shall be arranged in the information materials in the order which was determined when the form and the text of ballots were approved. The bulletin board shall also display excerpts from the criminal and administrative laws of the Russian Federation establishing responsibility for violation of electoral rights of Russian Federation citizens. The precinct election commission shall arrange these materials so that voters could easily read them.

4. Enlarged forms of protocols of voting returns shall be displayed inside the voting premises upon commencement of voting to record voting returns as they are tabulated.

5. The voting premises shall be fitted out so that the places where ballots are given out, the voting booths and the ballot boxes are all located in the field of vision of members of the precinct election commission, observers.

Article 71. Ballots

1. Ballots shall be documents subject to strict accountability, with their degree of protection to be determined by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. Numbering of ballots shall not be allowed. The procedure for the printing of ballots, their quantity and the requirements to their printing shall be approved by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation not later than 35 days prior to voting day.

2. In the election of deputies of the State Duma printed ballots shall be used for voting in the federal and single-mandate electoral districts. Ballots for voting in the federal and in the single-mandate electoral district shall differ in form. The form and the Russian text of the ballot for the federal electoral district and the form of the ballot for a single-mandate electoral district shall be approved by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation not later than 32 days prior to voting day. The Russian text of the ballot for a single-mandate electoral district shall be approved by a district election commission not later than 29 days prior to voting day. The text shall be printed only on one side of the ballot.

3. A ballot for voting in the federal electoral district shall contain the abbreviated names of electoral associations, electoral blocs which have nominated federal lists of candidates and their emblems (if the emblems have been submitted to the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation in accordance with Clause 3 Article 34 of this Federal Law) arranged in the order determined by lot and printed in black and white. The abbreviated names of electoral associations shall be printed under the name of bloc which comprises these associations. Lot-drawing shall be arranged by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation with participation of authorized representatives of electoral associations, electoral blocs not later than 36 days prior to voting day. The number drawn by an electoral association, electoral bloc shall be retained by them until the end of the election campaign. Placed under the name of an electoral association, electoral bloc shall be the first, middle and last name of each of the first three candidates from the federal part of a federal list of candidates nominated by an electoral association, electoral bloc. In each Subject of the Russian Federation, after the aforementioned information the ballot shall indicate the name of the regional group of candidates of the federal list of candidates of the given electoral association, electoral bloc corresponding to the given Subject of the Russian Federation and the first, middle and last name of each of the first three candidates from the corresponding regional group of candidates. If the federal list of candidates does not have a federal part, the ballot shall indicate the name of the regional group of candidates and the first, middle and last name of each of the first three candidates of the corresponding regional group.

4. A blank box shall be placed to the right of the name of each electoral association, electoral bloc. A line reading «Against all federal lists of candidates» with a blank box to the right thereof shall be placed at the end of the list of electoral associations, electoral blocs.

5. A ballot for a single-mandate electoral district shall indicate the first, middle and last name and a registered pseudonym (if any) of each registered candidate arranged in the alphabetical order; his/her year of birth, place of residence, main place of work or service, official position (occupation if there is no main place of work or service); the name of the elective office occupied by the candidate in the elective body of state power or the elective body of local self-government (if any) of each registered candidates; information as to who nominated the given registered candidate. The ballot shall also indicate the abbreviated name of the public association the membership in which was indicated by the registered candidate in accordance with Clause 10 Article 37 or Clause 4 Article 40 of this Federal Law, and the status of the given registered candidate in this public association. If the registered candidate runs also on a federal list of candidates, this, too, shall be indicated in the ballot. A blank box shall be placed to the right of each registered candidate. A line reading «Against all candidates» with a blank box to the right thereof shall be placed at the end of the list of registered candidates.

6. If a registered candidate whose first, middle and last name is indicated in the ballot has a conviction that has not expired or has not been cancelled, the ballot shall indicate the number (numbers) and the name (names) of the article (articles) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the basis of which the candidate was convicted and the article (articles) of the criminal code adopted in accordance with the Fundamental Criminal Legislation of the USSR and the Union republics, the article (articles) of the law of a foreign state and the name of the law, if the candidate was convicted under these legislative acts for actions qualified as crimes by the current Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. If a registered candidate whose data are indicated in the ballot has Russian Federation and foreign citizenship, the ballot shall indicate the name of the corresponding foreign state. The data concerning the convictions and foreign citizenship shall be indicated in the ballot on the basis of the appropriate documents which were submitted to an election commission before approval of the text of the ballot.

7. Each ballot shall contain marking instructions.

8. Ballots shall be printed in the Russian language. Subject to a decision of the election commission of a Subject of the Russian Federation, ballots shall be printed in the Russian language and in the official language of the given Subject of the Russian Federation, and, in the necessary cases, in the languages of the peoples of the Russian Federation in the territories where they are concentrated. If ballots for an electoral precinct are printed in two or more languages, the text in the Russian language shall be printed on each ballot. The text of the ballot in the official languages of a Subject of the Russian Federation shall be approved by the election commission of the Subject of the Russian Federation not later than 25 days prior to voting day.

9. Ballots for voting in the federal electoral district shall be printed only by a decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation under supervision of its representatives by printing organizations adequately equipped for production of electoral documents not later than 22 days prior to voting day. Ballots for voting in single-mandate electoral districts shall be printed not later than 22 days prior to voting day only by an order and under the supervision of election commissions of Subjects of the Russian Federation or by a decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, district election commissions by printing organizations adequately equipped for production of electoral documents. The number of ballots printed for the election of deputies of the State Duma shall not exceed by more than 3 percent the number of voters registered in the federal electoral district and in each single-mandate electoral district.

10. The printing organization shall reject defective ballots and shall hand over the ballots to the duly authorized members of the election commission which placed an order for their printing on the basis of a transfer record indicating the date and time when it was drawn up and the number of ballots being handed over. After the ballots have been handed over in the quantity corresponding to the order the employees of the printing organization shall destroy the rejected and surplus ballots and shall draw up a certificate to this effect to be signed by all persons present thereat. These actions may be witnessed by other members of the election commission, registered candidates, authorized representatives of electoral associations, electoral blocs, their agents, if they wish to do so. The appropriate election commission shall notify registered candidates, authorized representatives of electoral associations, electoral blocs about the time when and the place where the ballots are to be handed over and the printing organization shall make it possible for them to be present thereat.

11. After receiving ballots from the printing organization an election commission which has placed an order for the printing of ballots shall, not later than 20 days prior to voting day, transfer the ballots to territorial election commissions in the presence of members of a district election commission on the basis of a transfer record indicating the time when the record was drawn up and the quantity of transferred ballots. The number of ballots to be transferred to each territorial election commission shall be determined by a decision of the district election commission but it shall not exceed by more than 2.5 percent the number of voters registered in the corresponding territory of a single-mandate electoral district. The ballots remaining after transfer of ballots to territorial election commissions shall be handed over to the district election commission. Proceeding in the same manner a territorial election commission shall transfer ballots to precinct election commissions not later than four days prior to voting day. For each electoral precinct the number of ballots to be transferred to a precinct election commission shall not be less than 90 percent of the number of voters included on voter lists for the given electoral precinct as of the day of the transfer of ballots and shall not exceed this number by more than 0.5 percent. Precinct election commissions formed outside the territory of the Russian Federation may receive ballots directly from the election commission which placed an order for production of ballots, in a procedure established by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. Signatures of two voting members of a precinct election commission to be certified by the election commission's seal shall be placed at the upper right of the ballot.

12. The responsibility for the transfer and safekeeping of ballots shall be borne by the chairmen of election commissions which transfer, receive and keep ballots.

13. If some candidates withdraw from the election, registration of some candidates is annulled, federal lists of candidates of some electoral associations, electoral blocs are recalled after the ballots have been printed, territorial election commissions and precinct election commissions shall, on the instruction of the election commissions which registered these candidates (federal lists of candidates), strike out the data of these candidates or electoral associations, electoral blocs on ballots. If the data of a registered candidate, an electoral association, electoral bloc indicated in printed ballots have to be changed and supplemented, these changes and additions may be made in the ballots, subject to a decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, by members of a district election commission, territorial election commission, precinct election commission by hand or with the use of a stamp.

14. In exceptional cases, in electoral precincts formed in remote and hard-to-reach regions, on ships which are at sea on voting day, at polar stations, at electoral precincts established outside the territory of the Russian Federation election documentation, including ballots, may be printed by a precinct election commission itself, if the necessary technical facilities are available. A decision to print the election documentation indicating the necessary number of ballots shall be taken by this precinct election commission with the concurrence of an appropriate district or territorial election commission.

15. On voting day, after the voting time ends, the unused ballots shall be cancelled by a district, territorial election commission, and the corresponding election commission shall draw up a certificate to this effect. The persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 29 of this Federal Law may be present when the ballots are being cancelled. The cancelled ballots shall be kept by the secretary of the election commission together with other documentation of the commission.

Article 72. Absentee Certificates for Voting in the Election of Deputies of the State Duma

1. An absentee certificates for voting in the election of deputies of the State Duma shall be a document subject to strict accountability, whose degree of protection shall be determined by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. The form of absentee certificates, the procedure for their printing, their quantity, the form of a register to record issuance of absentee certificates and the requirements to the production of absentee certificates shall be approved by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation not later than 60 days prior to voting day. Absentee certificates shall be transferred from the higher election commission to a lower election commission in the same manner as ballots. The responsibility for the transfer and safekeeping of absentee certificates shall be borne by the chairmen of election commissions which transfer, receive and keep absentee certificates.

2. A voter unable to come to the voting premises of the electoral precinct where he/she is included on the voter list shall be entitled to obtain an absentee certificate from the appropriate territorial election commission (45 - 25 days prior to voting day), the precinct election commission (24 - 1 days prior to voting day) of the given precinct and take part in the voting within the electoral district where the given voter is eligible to vote in accordance with Clauses 1 and 2 Article 4 of this Federal Law, in the electoral precinct where he/she will be staying on voting day

3. On the basis of a written application of a voter indicating the reasons why the voter needs an absentee certificate for voting in the election of deputies of the State Duma an absentee certificate shall be issued by the appropriate election commission either to the voter personally or to his/her representative provided with a notarized power of attorney. The power of attorney may also be certified by the administration of a hospital where a voter is undergoing medical treatment, by the administration of an institution where suspects or defendants are confined.

4. A territorial election commission shall issue absentee certificates to voters on the basis of the information about voters submitted to the commission by the head of a municipal unit (if the charter of the municipal unit does not provide for this post, by a person authorized to do so by the representative body of local self-government) in accordance with the Regulation On the State System for Registration of Voters, Referendum Participants. A territorial election commission shall keep a register of issued absentee certificates for voting in the election of deputies of the State Duma indicating the first, middle and last name of the voter, year of birth (for voters 18 years old - also the day and month of birth), home address. Twenty five days prior to voting day a territorial election commission shall furnish to precinct election commissions the originals of voter lists together with certified excerpts from the register of issued absentee certificates indicating the data of voters registered in the territory of these electoral precincts, who have received absentee certificates. Based on this excerpt a precinct election commission shall make appropriate notes on the voter list.

5. A voter or his/her representative shall sign for the receipt of an absentee certificate for voting in the election of deputies of the State Duma in the register of issued absentee certificates (in a territorial election commission) or in a voter list (in a precinct election commission), indicating the series and number of his/her passport or an equivalent identity paper. In this case, this voter shall be eliminated from the voter list of the electoral precinct in the given election and shall not be reckoned in the counting of the number of registered voters when the precinct election commission draws up its protocol.

6. An absentee certificate for voting in the election of deputies of the State Duma shall be valid if it bears the seal of a territorial or a precinct election commission and is signed by a member of the territorial or precinct election commission who issued the absentee certificate.

7. On voting day, upon production of an absentee certificate, a voter shall be put on the voter list in any other electoral precinct within the electoral district where the voter is eligible to vote, after which the absentee certificate for voting in the election of deputies of the State Duma shall be withdrawn. When receiving a ballot (ballots) this voter shall indicate his/her home address on the voter list

8. On voting day, before voting time begins, the unused absentee certificates for voting in the election of deputies of the State Duma shall be cancelled and a record to this effect shall be drawn up by a territorial or a precinct election commission.

Article 73. Voting Procedure

1. Voting shall be conducted on a non-working calendar day from 8.00 to 20.00 local time.

2. Precinct election commissions shall inform voters about the time and place of voting not later than 20 days prior to voting day through the mass media or by other methods and, in the event of early voting in cases provided by Article 74 of this Federal Law, not later than five days prior to early voting day.

3. A precinct election commission formed on ships at sea, in military units, at polar stations, in remote and hard-to-reach regions may declare the voting completed ahead of the time specified in Clause 1 of this Article if all the voters on the voter list have voted.

4. At 8.00 on voting day, the chairman of a precinct election commission shall declare the voting premises open and shall produce empty stationary and portable ballot boxes for examination by the members of the precinct election commission, voters and persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 29 of this Federal Law. After this, the ballot boxes shall be sealed by the seal of the precinct election commission (a seal shall be affixed). The chairman of a precinct election commission shall also show to the said persons sealed portable ballot boxes containing ballots marked in accordance with Clauses 2 - 9 Article 74 of this Federal Law by voters (if any) who have voted early. Then the chairman of a precinct election commission shall invite voters to start voting.

5. Voting members of a precinct election commission shall receive ballots from the chairman of a precinct election commission for issuance to voters and shall sign for their receipt.

6. Ballots shall be given to voters included on the voter lists upon production of a passport or an equivalent identity paper (a serviceman's card or an officer's identity card for people who undergo military service, a certificate of a standard form issued by internal affairs bodies, a foreign passport of the Russian Federation citizen for persons who permanently reside or stay outside the territory of the Russian Federation, a seaman's passport). Each voter shall be entitled to receive two ballots, including one ballot for voting in the federal electoral district and one ballot for voting in the given single-mandate electoral district. The exceptions to this case are provided by Clause 12 of this Article. If a voter votes on the basis of an absentee certificate for voting in the election of deputies of the State Duma at the place where he/she temporarily stays outside the single-mandate electoral district where the voter resides permanently or currently, he/she shall be entitled to receive only one ballot - the ballot for voting in the federal electoral district. Before issuing ballots to voters a member of the election commission shall make sure that an absentee certificate for voting in the election of deputies of the State Duma has not been issued to the given voter, the voter has not voted early and that his/her application for voting outside the voting premises has not been recorded in the register indicated in Clause 2 Article 75 of this Federal Law and that no voting members of the precinct election commission were sent to the voter to conduct voting outside the voting premises. Upon production of an absentee certificate, a voter shall be additionally entered onn the voter list and the absentee certificate for voting in the election of deputies of the State Duma shall be taken away and cancelled.

7. When receiving ballots, the voter shall write the series and number of his/her passport or an equivalent identity paper in the voter list and sign for the receipt of each ballot. With the consent or at the request of a voter the series and number of his/her passport or an equivalent identify paper may be written on the voter list by a voting member of a precinct election commission. The voter shall check the correctness of the entry and shall sign for the receipt of each ballot.

8. If a voter is not able to sign for the receipt of each ballot by himself/herself, he/she may ask other persons to help him/her, if these persons are not members of the election commission, registered candidates, agents of registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs and their authorized representatives, observers, foreign (international) observers. The person who has helped the voter shall put his/her signature in the column (columns) «Voter Signature for Receipt of Ballot» of the voter list indicating his/her first, middle and last name, the series and number of the passport or an equivalent identity paper.

9. Each voter shall vote in person. Voting for other voters shall not be allowed. Ballots shall be marked in a specially equipped booth or a specially equipped other place or a room for secret voting, where the presence of any other persons shall not be allowed.

10. A voter who is not able to mark the ballot by himself/herself may be assisted by another voter who is not a member of the election commission, registered candidate, agent of a registered candidate, an electoral association, electoral bloc, their authorized representative, observer, foreign (international) observer. In this case, the voter shall orally inform the election commission of his/her intention to ask for assistance in marking the ballot. The first, middle and last name, series and number of the passport or an equivalent identity paper of the person assisting the voter shall be indicated in the appropriate column (columns) of the voter list.

11. On the ballot for voting in the federal electoral district, voters shall put any mark in the blank box to the right of the name of the electoral association, electoral bloc whose federal list of candidates they vote for, or in the box placed to the right of the words «Against all federal lists of candidates». On the ballot for voting in a single-mandate electoral district, voters shall put any mark in the blank box to the right of the name of the registered candidate he/she votes for, or in the box to the right of the words «Against all candidates».

12. If a voter thinks that he/she has made a mistake when marking a ballot, he/she may ask the election commission member who had issued him/her a ballot to give him/her a new ballot in place of the spoilt one. The election commission member shall issue a new ballot to the voter, make a corresponding note on the voter list against the name of this voter and sign the note. The spoilt ballot shall be immediately canceled and an act shall be drawn up to this effect.

13. Voters shall drop marked ballots into a sealed stationary ballot box.

14. The chairman of a precinct election commission shall maintain order on the voting premises. Instructions of the chairman issued within the scope of his/her competence shall be mandatory for all those present inside the voting premises. In case the chairman of a precinct election commission is absent, his/her functions shall be performed by the deputy chairman of the precinct election commission, and, in the absence of the deputy chairman, by the secretary or some other voting member of the given election commission authorized thereby.

15. Persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 29 of this Federal Law may be present on the voting premises during the voting, when votes are being counted and when a precinct election commission is drawing up a protocol of voting returns. Based on their credentials a precinct election commission shall make up a list of persons who observed the progress of voting and the counting of votes.

16. A member of a precinct election commission shall be immediately barred from participation in its work and an observer and other persons shall be expelled from the voting premises if they try to interfere with the work of the election commission or with the exercise by a citizen of the Russian Federation of his/her electoral rights or attempt to violate the secrecy of voting. The appropriate decision shall be taken by the precinct election commission or a higher election commission. In this case, the commission shall be entitled to request the appropriate authorities to bring to responsibility the barred member of the precinct election commission or expelled observers and other persons, subject to federal laws.

17. Registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, agents and authorized representatives of electoral associations, electoral blocs, agents of registered candidates and the organizations whose founders, owners, possessors are and/or whose governing bodies include the said persons and organizations as well as other natural persons and legal entities acting on the request or on the instructions of the said persons and organizations shall not take any steps to arrange for transportation of voters to voting premises.

Article 74. Early Voting

1. A district election commission may allow all voters in one of or several electoral precincts on ships at sea on voting day, at polar stations, in other remote and hard-to-reach areas to vote early but not earlier than 15 days prior to voting day. In this case, early voting shall be conducted in accordance with the rules established by Article 73 of this Federal Law. Immediately after the end of early voting votes cast by voters shall be counted and voting returns shall be determined in accordance with the requirements of Clauses 76 and 77 of this Federal Law.

2. If separate groups of voters included on the voter list of the given electoral precinct are located at places which are far away from the voting premises and are inaccessible or hard to reach by any means of transport (at polar stations and in other remote and hard-to-reach areas) and, therefore, early voting cannot be conducted in the whole electoral precinct in accordance with Clause 1 of this Article, a district election commission may, with the concurrence of the appropriate election commission of a Subject of the Russian Federation, allow these groups of voters to vote early, in the course of several days, in a procedure established by Clauses 3 - 9 of this Article.

3. Early voting indicated in Clause 2 of this Article shall be conducted with the use of portable ballot boxes the number of which shall be determined by a district election commission. Before early voting starts, empty portable ballot boxes shall be produced for examination to the majority of the members of a precinct election commission and to the persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 29 of this Federal Law present on the commission's premises, and a protocol shall be drawn up to record this fact. After that, empty ballot boxes shall be sealed (seals shall be affixed).

4. Two voting members of a precinct election commission shall put their signatures at the upper right on the face of each ballot issued to a voter who votes early and their signatures shall be certified by a seal of the precinct election commission.

5. Early voting outside the voting premises shall be conducted by not less than two voting members of a precinct election commission. They shall be provided with a portable ballot box that has been sealed in a precinct election commission, the required number of ballots of a standard form, an excerpt from the voter list containing data of the voters whom they are going to visit to conduct early voting or the voter list as well as the necessary writing utensils (excepting pencils) to mark ballots.

6. A voter who votes early shall sign for the receipt of each ballot issued to him/her in the excerpt from the voter list or on the voter list. The members of the election commission who conduct early voting shall make a note in the said excerpt or on the list to indicate that the voter has voted early and shall mark the date and time of voting. If a voter has put his/her signature in the excerpt from the voter list, these notes as well as the series and number of the passport or an equivalent identity paper shall be entered on the voter list after early voting ends. The said excerpt from the voter list shall be kept together with the voter list.

7. A voter shall mark the ballot and drop it into the ballot box as provided by Article 73 of this Federal Law.

8. A protocol shall be drawn up to record the fact of early voting, indicating the day and time of voting, the number of voters who received ballots for early voting, the names of the members of the election commission and other persons present at the voting. This protocol shall be kept together with the portable ballot box.

9. After the end of early voting the slots for ballots in portable ballot boxes shall be sealed by the chairman of the precinct election commission, and the secretary of the precinct election commission shall make arrangements for safekeeping of the portable ballot boxes. The portable ballot boxes shall not be opened till commencement of vote counting on the voting premises. The portable ballot boxes containing ballots dropped there by voters who have voted early shall not be used for voting on voting day.

10. Early voting may be witnessed by persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 29 of this Federal Law. When early voting is to be conducted with the use of portable ballot boxes, a precinct election commission shall make arrangements to ensure that at least two persons from non-voting members of the election commission, observers appointed by different registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs are offered the same possibilities as the voting members of the precinct election commission to go to the place where early voting is to be conducted.

11. Early voting shall be conducted only at the time established by a decision of the appropriate precinct election commission. This time shall be made known to voters and persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 29 of this Federal Law through the mass media and/or by other means.

12. When conducting early voting an election commission shall ensure the secrecy of voting, prevent any possibility of the expression of the voter's will being distorted, make arrangements for safekeeping of ballots and ensure that the votes of voters are reckoned in the determination of the voting returns and election results.

Article 75. Voting Outside the Voting Premises On Voting Day

1. A precinct election commission shall make arrangements to enable voters to vote if they are entitled to be or are included on the voter list of the given electoral precinct but are unable to come on their own to the voting premises for valid reasons (poor health, physical disability, etc.). A precinct election commission may determine that the reason is untenable and refuse to conduct voting outside the voting premises.

2. Voting outside voting premises with the exception of the cases provided for by Article 74 of this Federal Law shall be carried out only on voting day and only on the basis of a written application or an oral request (which may be relayed through other persons) of a voter asking for a possibility to vote outside the voting premises. The application (request) may be submitted by a voter at any time after formation of the precinct election commission but not later than four hours before the end of voting time on voting day. A precinct election commission shall record all received applications (requests) in a special register.

3. An entry recording an oral request in the register mentioned in Clause 2 of this Article shall indicate the time when the request was received, the first, middle and last name of the precinct commission member who received the request (telephone call, message, etc.), the first, middle and last name of the person who relayed the message. The entry shall be signed by the precinct commission member. Upon arrival of commission members to the voter the request shall be confirmed by a written application which shall be registered with the indication of the time when the application was submitted.

4. A written application for voting outside the voting premises shall state the reason for which the voter is unable to come to the voting premises and shall indicate the same data about the voter as are contained on the voter list.

5. At least 30 minutes before the departure of members of a precinct election commission, the chairman of a precinct election commission shall announce that the commission members are going to conduct voting outside the voting premises.

6. A precinct election commission shall have the necessary number (but not more than three) portable ballot boxes to conduct voting provided for by this Article, the number of such boxes to be determined by a decision of the appropriate territorial election commission.

7. Having received ballots the voting members of a precinct election commission who conduct voting outside the voting premises shall sign for the receipt thereof in the journal of issuance of ballots for voting outside the voting premises. Voting outside the voting premises shall be conducted by not less than two voting members of a precinct election commission who shall bring with them a portable ballot box sealed by the precinct election commission; the required number of ballots of the established form; a certified extract from the register indicated in Clause 2 of this Article containing the data required by Clause 8 Article 15 of this Federal Law about the voters on whose request voting outside the voting premises is to be conducted (an appropriate note shall be made in the register when this extract is made); the written applications for voting outside the voting premises; the necessary writing utensils (excepting pencils) for the voter to mark the ballots.

8. Voting outside the voting premises shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Article 73 of this Federal Law.

9. In his/her written application for voting outside the voting premises a voter shall indicate the series and number of his/her passport or an equivalent identity paper, his/her home address and shall confirm the receipt of each ballot by his/her signature. The voting members of the commission shall confirm the issuance of ballots by putting their signatures on the application. A corresponding note shall be made on the application when a new ballot is issued in place of a spoilt one.

10. The voting members of a precinct election commission who conduct voting outside the voting premises shall issue ballots only to those voters whose applications (requests) have been recorded in the register as provided by Clause 2 of this Article.

11. The series and number of the passport or an equivalent identity paper of a voter who voted outside the voting premises shall be entered on the voter list by the voting members of a precinct election commission who came to voters in response to their applications (requests). At the same time, the words «Voted outside the voting premises» shall be written in the appropriate column (columns) of the voter list.

12. When voting is carried out outside the voting premises, non-voting members of an election commission, observers may be present at the voting. In this case, a precinct election commission shall provide the same possibilities to come to the place of voting for voting members of the precinct election commission who conduct voting outside the voting premises and to not less than two non-voting members of the election commission, observers appointed by various candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs. Voting outside the voting premises shall be organized so as to prevent any violations of electoral rights of citizens and distortion of the expression of a voter's will.

13. If a voter who submitted an application (request) for voting outside the voting premises comes to the voting premises to vote after the voting members of the precinct election commission were sent to him/her to conduct voting outside the voting premises, an appropriate member of the precinct election commission shall not issue a ballot to this voter on the voting premises until the commission members who went to the voter in response to his/her application (request) to conduct voting outside the voting premises come back and until it is established that the voter has not voted outside the voting premises.

14. After the end of voting outside the voting premises with the use of a portable ballot box the precinct election commission shall draw up an act indicating the number of ballots issued to the members of the precinct election commission who conducted voting outside the voting premises; the number of written applications of voters asking for a possibility to vote outside the voting premises; the number of ballots issued to voters; the number of returned ballots (ballots which were not used or were spoilt by voters); the information concerning the voting members of the precinct election commission who conducted voting outside the voting premises, the non-voting members of the precinct election commission and observers who were present when voting was conducted outside the voting premises.

Article 76. Protocols of Voting Returns of a Precinct Election Commissions

1. A precinct election commission shall draw up two protocols of voting returns in the given electoral precinct: Protocol No. 1 of Voting Returns for the single-mandate electoral district and Protocol No. 2 of Voting Returns for the federal electoral district.

2. As a rule, a protocol of voting returns shall be drawn up by a precinct election commission on one sheet. If the protocol has been drawn up on more sheets than one, each sheet shall be numbered, signed by all present voting members of the precinct election commission and sealed by the seal of the precinct election commission. Each of the two protocols of a precinct election commission specified in Clause 1 of this Article shall contain the following:

(a) No. of the copy;

(b) name of the election, date of voting, name and number of the electoral district;

(d) the name of the election commission and the number of the electoral precinct;

(e) the lines of the protocol:

line 1: number of voters included on the voter list as of the end of voting who are eligible to vote in the appropriate electoral district;

line 2: number of ballots received by the precinct election commission;

line 3: number of ballots issued to voters who voted early;

line 4: number of canceled ballots;

line 5: number of ballots issued to voters on the voting premises on voting day;

line 6: number of ballots issued to voters who voted outside the voting premises;

line 7: number of ballots in the portable ballot boxes;

line 8: number of ballots in the stationary ballot boxes;

line 9: number of valid ballots;

line 10: total number of invalid ballots;

line 11: the number of ballots, found invalid on the basis of Clause 14 Article 7of this Federal Law (if the number of ballots for the given electoral district found in a portable ballot box exceeds the number of voters' applications bearing a note about receipt of ballots or the number of notes on the voter list indicating that the voter has voted early);

line 12: number of unmarked ballots;

line 13: number of absentee certificates received by the precinct election commission;

line 14: number of absentee certificates for voting in the election of deputies of the State Duma issued to voters by the precinct election commission in the electoral precinct before voting day;

line 15: number of voters who have voted in the electoral precinct on the basis of absentee certificates;

line 16: number of cancelled unused absentee certificates;

line 17: number of absentee certificates cancelled in accordance with Clause 6 Article 73 of this Federal Law;

(f) the list of complaints (statements), acts and other documents attached to the protocol;

(g) the names and initials of the chairman, the deputy chairman, the secretary and other members of the election commission and their signatures;

(h) the signing date and time (hours, minutes) of the protocol (if the protocol contains more than one page - each page of the protocol shall be signed);

(i) the seal of the election commission (if the protocol contains more than one page - each page of the protocol shall be affixed).

3. In addition to the aforementioned data the following shall be indicated in line 18 and subsequent lines of Protocol No. 1 of Voting Returns for the single-mandate electoral district:

the fist, middle and last names in the alphabetical order, and, if these names coincide, other data of registered candidates on the ballot and the number of votes cast for each registered candidate;

the number of votes cast against all candidates.

4. Apart from the data indicated in Clause 2 of this Article the following shall be entered in line 18 and subsequent lines of Protocol No. 2 of Voting Returns for the federal electoral district:

the names of electoral associations, electoral blocs which nominated federal lists of candidates in the order of their arrangement in the ballot and the number of votes cast for each federal list of candidates;

the number of votes cast against all federal lists of candidates.

5. The numbers indicated in Clauses 2 to 4 of this Article shall be entered in the protocols of voting returns in numerals and in words.

Article 77. Counting of Votes and Compilation of Protocols of Voting Returns by Precinct Election Commissions

1. The votes cast by voters shall be counted openly and publicly, by the voting members of a precinct election commission. The persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 29 of this Federal Law shall be given a possibility to be present at and observe vote counting.

2. After the voting time expires, the chairman of a precinct election commission shall announce that only those voters who are already inside the voting premises may receive ballots and vote. Counting of votes cast by voters shall begin immediately after the voting time expires and shall be continued without interruption until the voting returns are tabulated, the said voting returns to be made known to all members of a precinct election commission and persons present at vote counting in accordance with this Federal Law.

3. After the end of voting, voting members of a precinct election commission in the presence of persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 29 of this Federal Law shall count unused ballots, cancel them by cutting off the lower left corner (care shall be taken to avoid damaging the boxes located on the ballots to the right of the data of registered candidates, names of electoral associations, electoral blocs and against the line «Against all candidates», «Against all federal lists of candidates»), announce the number of cancelled ballots obtained by summing up the number of unused ballots and the number of ballots spoilt by voters in the course of voting and enter these data in lines 4 of the protocols of voting returns and in the enlarged forms of these protocols. After that members of a precinct election commission shall announce the number of unused absentee certificates and enter this number in lines 16 of the protocols of voting returns and their enlarged forms. The cancelled ballots and absentee certificates may be examined by non-voting members of the election commission, observers, foreign (international) observers under the supervision of voting members of the election commission.

4. Before starting to count votes voting members of a precinct election commission shall enter the following data summarized page by page in each page of the voter list, separately for the federal and for the single-mandate electoral district:

(a) the number of voters on the list (minus the voters issued absentee certificates by a territorial and the precinct election commission). The number of voters on the list for a single-mandate electoral district shall not include voters entered in the list on the basis of absentee certificates if these voters have received ballots only for the federal electoral district;

(b) the number of ballots issued to voters on the voting premises of the electoral precinct on voting day (to be established on the basis of the number of voter signatures in the voter list);

(c) the number of ballots issued to voters who have voted outside the voting premises (to be established on the basis of the number of appropriate notes in the voter list);

(d) the number of voters who have voted early (to be established on the basis of the number of appropriate notes in the voter list);

(e) the number of absentee certificates issued by the precinct election commission on the voting premises;

(f) the number of voters who have voted on the voting premises of the electoral precinct on the basis of absentee certificates.

5. After the data indicated in Clause 4 of this Article have been entered, the voting member of a precinct election commission who has entered these data shall sign each page of the voter list, sum up these data and announce them to the chairman, the deputy chairman or the secretary of a precinct election commission and to persons present at vote counting. On the last page of the voter list the chairman, the deputy chairman or the secretary of a precinct election commission shall write the summarized data to be obtained by summing up the data established in accordance with Clause 4 of this Article, and shall certify them with his/her signature and the seal of the precinct election commission. After that, the voter list shall be made available for examination to persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 29 of this Federal Law.

6. The chairman, the deputy chairman or the secretary of a precinct election commission shall ascertain, announce the following data and enter them in lines 1 and 2 of the protocols of voting returns and in their enlarged forms:

(a) the number of voters included on the voter list as of the end of voting who are eligible to vote in the given electoral district;

(b) the number of ballots received by the precinct election commission.

7. The following data shall be made public and entered in lines 13, 14, 15 of the protocols of voting returns and in their enlarged forms:

(a) the number of absentee certificates which have been received by the precinct election commission;

(b) the number of absentee certificates which have been issued by the precinct election commission to voters in the electoral precinct;

8. Then, the following data shall be entered in lines 5, 6 and 3 of the protocols of voting returns and in their enlarged forms:

(a) the number of ballots issued to voters on the voting premises on voting day;

(b) the number of ballots issued to voters who voted outside the voting premises;

(c) the number of ballots issued to voters who have voted early in accordance with Clauses 2 - 9 Article 74 of this Federal Law.

9. After this, the chairman or the secretary of the precinct election commission shall take steps to ensure safekeeping of the voter list and prevent access to the list for persons participating in vote counting. No further work shall be carried out on the voter list until the control relationships of data entered in the protocols of voting returns are checked as provided by Clause 22 of this Article.

10. Direct counting of votes shall be carried out by voting members of the precinct election commission from ballots in the ballot boxes.

11. Non-voting members of the precinct election commission, persons listed in Clause 5 Article 29 of this Federal Law shall be entitled to be present at direct counting of votes.

12. Direct counting of votes shall be carried out on the voting premises at the places fitted out so as to allow access to them for voting and non-voting members of the precinct election commission. Members of the precinct election commission, with the exception of the chairman (deputy chairman) and the secretary of the election commission, shall not use any writing utensils during vote counting. The actions of members of the precinct election commission shall be visible to all persons present.

13. When directly counting the votes the precinct election commission shall separate ballots which do not conform to a standard format, i.e., which have not been printed officially or have not been certified by the election commission. Such ballots shall not be reckoned in the direct counting of votes.

14. First of all, the commission shall count ballots in the portable ballot boxes: first in the boxes containing ballots left by voters who have voted early, then in the boxes containing ballots left by voters who have voted outside the voting premises on voting day. Before each portable ballot box is opened the number of voters who voted with the use of the given portable ballot box shall be announced, the integrity of the seals on the boxes shall be checked by the chairman of the precinct election commission and, on the chairman's request, verified by the commission members and other persons present at vote counting. Votes shall be counted so as to avoid violating the secrecy of voting and non-standard ballots shall be placed separately. The number of standard ballots taken out of the boxes shall be announced and entered in line 7 of the protocols of voting returns and in their enlarged forms. If the number of standard ballots for voting in the federal or a single-mandate electoral district in the portable ballot box has been found to be larger than the number of notes on the voter list indicating that the voter has voted early or the number of applications of voters which carry a note indicating the receipt of ballots for voting in the one or the other electoral district, all ballots for the given electoral district contained in the given portable ballot box shall be declared invalid by a decision of the precinct election commission and this fact shall be recorded in a separate act which shall be attached to the protocol of voting returns. The act shall indicate the last names and initials of the members of the election commission who organized early voting, voting outside the voting premises using this ballot box. The number of ballots thus declared invalid shall be entered in line 11 of the appropriate protocol of voting returns and in its enlarged form and shall not be reckoned in direct vote counting. Such ballots shall be packed and sealed separately.

15. The stationary ballot boxes shall be opened after the seals thereon have been found intact.

16. Voting members of the precinct election commission shall sort out into separate bundles the ballots taken out of the portable and stationary ballot boxes according to the votes cast for each registered candidate, each federal list of candidates, and against all candidates, all federal lists of candidates; at the same time, they shall separate ballots which do not conform to the standard format and invalid ballots for voting in the single-mandate and the federal electoral district. While sorting out the ballots, voting members of the precinct election commission shall read aloud the notes made by voters on ballots and show ballots for examination to all persons present at the direct counting. The notes on two and more ballots shall not be read aloud simultaneously.

17. After the ballots have been sorted out, votes cast by voters shall be counted from the standard ballots. Not less than two voting members of the election commission shall count the ballots separately for votes cast for each registered candidate, each federal list of candidates and for votes cast «Against all candidates», «Against all federal lists of candidates». The results of counting shall be entered in line 18 and subsequent lines of the protocols of voting returns and in their enlarged forms.

18. Invalid ballots shall be counted and summed up separately. The total number of invalid ballots, including the ballots declared invalid on the basis of Clause 14 of this Article, shall be announced and entered in lines 10 of the protocols of voting returns and their enlarged forms. The number of invalid ballots where none of the options are marked shall be entered in lines 12 of the protocols and their enlarged forms. Ballots shall be pronounced invalid if they make it impossible to establish the expression of a voter's will, specifically the ballots wherein a mark (marks) was put in more than one box or in none of the boxes. If any doubts arise in pronouncing a ballot invalid, the precinct election commission shall decide the matter by voting and the reasons for invalidating the ballot shall be indicated on the back of the ballot. This inscription shall be certified by signatures of not less than three voting members of the commission and the seal of the commission.

19. Then the voting members of the precinct election commission shall sum up the data of line 18 and the subsequent lines of the protocols of voting returns, announce the number of valid ballots and enter this number in line 9 of the protocols of voting returns and their enlarge forms.

20. Voting members of the precinct election commission shall count the number of standard ballots for the federal and single-mandate electoral districts in the stationary ballot boxes, announce this number and enter it in line 8 of the protocols of voting returns and in their enlarged forms.

21. Non-voting members of the election commission, observers, foreign (international) observers may examine the sorted out ballots under the supervision of voting members of the precinct election commission.

22. After the ballots have been counted, the control relationships of data entered in the protocols of voting returns shall be checked (Annex 5). If the control relationships do not coincide, the precinct election commission shall take a decision to carry out additional counting of votes for all or some of the lines of the protocols of voting returns, including additional counting of ballots. If changes have to be made in the protocol of voting returns on the basis of additional counting, a new blank form of the protocol shall be filled out and appropriate changes shall be made in its enlarged form.

23. After the counting has been completed the ballots shall be sorted out and packed in bundles according to registered candidates, federal list of candidates for which votes were cast in the ballots. Separate bundles shall contain ballots cast against all candidates and all federal lists of candidates and invalid and cancelled ballots for the federal and single-mandate electoral districts. Each bundle shall be marked to indicate the number of ballots in the bundle, the name of the registered candidate, the electoral association, electoral bloc marked in the ballots or shall be marked «Against all candidates,» «Against all federal lists of candidates.» The ballots packed as above shall be placed in bags or boxes which shall be marked to indicate the number of the electoral precinct, the number (name) of the electoral district, the quantity of ballots. The bags or boxes shall be sealed and may be opened only by a decision of the higher election commission or a court. Voting and non-voting members of the precinct election commission may put their signatures on these bags or boxes.

24. The protocols of voting returns shall be filled out in three copies and shall be signed by all present voting members of the precinct election commission.

25. If some voting members of the precinct election commission are absent when the protocols of voting returns are filled out, a note to this effect shall be made in the protocols indicating the reason for their absence. The protocols shall be valid if they are signed by the majority of the established number of voting members of the given precinct election commission.

26. The protocols of voting returns shall not be filled out with a pencil and no changes shall be made therein. At the signing of the protocols the voting members of a precinct election commission who dis

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ПУБЛИКАЦИИ ИРИС

THE MEDIA AND THE 1999 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN RUSSIA

Автор: МФИС-ИРИС
Форма выпуска: Книга

Сборник статей. Издание подготовлено МФИС и ИРИС совместно с Национальным институтом прессы, в сотрудничестве с ЦИК РФ. На английском языке.

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