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Chapter IX. Voting and Determination of the Results of the Election of the President of the Russian Federation
Article 62. Voting Premises
Article 63. Ballot
Article 64. Absentee Certificate
Article 65. Voting
Article 66. Early Voting
Article 67. Voting Outside the Voting Premises On Voting Day
Article 68. Protocol of Voting Returns of a Precinct Election Commission
Article 69. Counting of Votes and Compilation of the Protocol of Voting Returns by Precinct Election Commissions
Article 70. Tabulation of Voting Returns by a Territorial Election Commission
Article 71. Tabulation of Voting Returns by the Election Commission of the Subject of the Russian Federation
Article 72. Determination of the Results of the Election of the President of the Russian Federation
Article 73. Repeat Voting in the Election of the President of the Russian Federation
Article 74. Repeat Election of the President of the Russian Federation
Article 75. Publication of the Voting Returns and the Results of the Election of the President of the Russian Federation
Article 76. Use of the State Automated Information System
Article 77. Safekeeping of Electoral Documentation
ARTICLE 62. Voting Premises
1. The voting premises shall be placed at the disposal of the precinct election commission free of charge by the head of the municipal unit, or, if the charter of the municipal unit does not provide for an office of head of the municipal unit, by a person authorized to do so by the representative body of local self-government.
2. The voting premises shall have a hall where ballot boxes, booths or other specially equipped places for secret voting shall be located or rooms suitable for secret voting provided with a lighting system, tables, writing utensils (with the exception of pencils).
3. Inside or directly in front of the voting premises a precinct election commission shall set up a bulletin board displaying a sample of a marked ballot and information materials about all registered candidates.
Information materials about each registered candidate shall indicate the first, middle and last name of each registered candidate his/her pseudonym (if it was registered in accordance with Clause 2 Article 39 of this Federal Law), year of birth, education, main place of work or service and official position (occupation, if there is no main place of work or service), address of the place of residence, membership of the registered candidate in a public association and his/her status therein (if such information was presented to the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation in accordance with Clause 7 Article 33 or Clause 11 Article 34 of this Federal Law), name of the elective office in a body of state power or body of local self-government held by the registered candidate and elected directly by Russian Federation citizens (if any), information as to who nominated the given candidate.
These information materials shall also include other biographical data to be submitted by registered candidates, the maximum scope of which shall be established by the decisions of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.
If a registered candidate 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 and the name of the law, if the registered 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 has Russian Federation citizenship and foreign citizenship, the information materials shall indicate this fact and the name of the corresponding foreign state. The sample of a marked ballot displayed on the bulletin board shall not contain the names of registered candidates and the names of electoral associations, electoral blocs which nominated registered candidates Information about registered candidates shall be arranged in the information materials in the order which was determined when the form and the text of a ballot 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. Upon commencement of voting, an oversize protocol of voting returns shall be displayed inside the voting premises 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, other places for secret voting and the ballot boxes are all located in the field of vision of members of the precinct election commission, observers.
ARTICLE 63. Ballot
1. Ballots shall be printed for voting in the election of the President of the Russian Federation. Ballots shall be documents of 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. The form and the Russian text of the ballot shall be approved by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation not later than 32 days prior to voting day. The text shall be printed only on one side of the ballot.
3. The ballot shall indicate the first, middle and last name and a pseudonym (if was registered in accordance with Clause 2 Article 39 of this Federal Law) 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); name of the elective office in the body of state power or body of local self-government held by each registered candidate and elected directly by Russian Federation citizens (if any); information as to who nominated the given registered candidate. The ballot shall also indicate an abbreviated name of the public association the membership in which was indicated by the registered candidate in accordance with Clause 7 Article 33 or Clause 11 Article 34 of this Federal Law, and the status of the given registered candidate therein. A blank box shall be placed to the right of the data 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.
4. If a registered candidate 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 has Russian Federation citizenship and foreign citizenship, the ballot shall indicate this fact and the name of the corresponding foreign state. The data concerning convictions and foreign citizenship shall be indicated in the ballot on the basis of the documents which were submitted to the election commission before approval of the text of the ballot.
5. Each ballot shall contain marking instructions.
6. Ballots shall be printed in the Russian language. Subject to a decision of the election commission of a Subject of the Russian Federation, ballots may 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 such a ballot in the official language of the Subject of the Russian Federation and in the languages of peoples of the Russian Federation shall be approved by the election commission of the Subject of the Russian Federation not later than 27 days prior to voting day.
7. Ballots shall be printed only by a decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation under the supervision of its representatives by printing organizations adequately equipped for printing electoral documents, not later than 22 days prior to voting day. The number of ballots printed for the election of the President of the Russian Federation shall not exceed by more than 3 percent the number of registered voters.
8. 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. Immediately 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 observed by other members of the election commission, registered candidates, their agents, it they wish to do so. The election commission shall notify all members of the commission, registered candidates, and their agents about the time when and the place where the ballots are to be handed over and the printing organization shall make it possible for these persons to be present thereat.
9. After receiving ballots from the printing organization the election commission of a which placed an order for the printing of the ballots shall, not later than 20 days prior to voting day, transfer the ballots to territorial election commissions 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 election commission of a Subject of the Russian Federation but this number shall not exceed by more than 2.5 percent the number of voters registered in the corresponding territory. The ballots remaining after transfer of ballots to territorial election commissions shall be kept by the election commission of the Subject of the Russian Federation. 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 the precinct election commission shall not be less than 90 percent of the number of voters included in the voters lists of 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 the printing of ballots, in a procedure established by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. On the face at the upper right of the ballot there will be signatures of two voting members of a precinct election commission certified by the election commission's seal. The transfer of ballots from a higher-level to a lower-level election commission may be observed by members of these and higher-level election commissions, registered candidates, their agents. The election commission shall notify its members about the time and place when and where ballots are to be transferred.
10. The responsibility for the transfer of ballots and ballot security shall be borne by chairmen of election commissions which transfer, receive and keep ballots.
11. If some registered candidates withdraw from the election or registration of some candidates is annulled after the ballots have been printed, territorial election commissions and precinct election commissions shall, on the instruction of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, strike out the data of these registered candidates on ballots. If the data of a registered candidate indicated in printed ballots has to be changed and supplemented, members of a territorial election commission, precinct election commission may, subject to a decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, make these changes and additions in the ballots by hand or with the use of a stamp.
12. 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, in electoral precincts established outside the territory of the Russian Federation electoral documentation, including ballots, may be printed by the precinct election commission itself, if the necessary technical facilities are available. A decision to print the electoral documentation indicating the necessary number of ballots shall be taken by this precinct election commission with the concurrence of the territorial election commission or the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.
13. On voting day, after the voting time ends, unused ballots remaining in the election commission of a Subject of the Russian Federation, a territorial election commission shall be cancelled and a certificate evidencing this fact shall be drawn up. Cancellation of ballots may be watched by the persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 21 of this Federal Law. The cancelled ballots shall be kept by the secretary of the election commission of the Subject of the Russian Federation, territorial election commission together with other documentation of the commission.
14. In the event of the repeat voting the periods indicated in this Article may be reduced by a decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, but by not more than three times.
ARTICLE 64. Absentee Certificate
1. An absentee certificate for voting in the election of the President of the Russian Federation shall be a document of strict accountability, whose degree of protection shall be determined by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. The absentee certificate shall have a detachable coupon. The form of an absentee certificate, the procedure for their printing, their quantity, the form of a journal to record issuance of absentee certificates and the requirements to the printing 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 a higher-level election commission to a lower-level election commission in the same manner as ballots. The responsibility for the transfer and security of absentee certificates shall be borne by 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 in the voters list shall be entitled to obtain an absentee certificate (in the event of the repeat voting - an absentee certificate without a detachable coupon) from a territorial election commission (45 - 25 days prior to voting day), a precinct election commission (24 days - 1 day prior to voting day and in the period from the day on which the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation declares the repeat voting to the day preceding the day of the repeat voting) and take part in the voting in the electoral precinct where this voter 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 the election commission shall issue an absentee certificate 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 the voter is undergoing medical treatment, by the administration of an institution where suspects or defendants are confined.
4. A territorial election commission shall issue an absentee certificate to a voter or his/her representative on the basis of the voter data supplied to the commission by the head of a municipal unit (if the charter of the municipal unit does not provide for the office of head of the municipal unit, by a person authorized to do so by the representative body of local self-government) in accordance with the «Regulation on the State Registry of Voters, Referendum Participants.» A territorial election commission shall keep a journal of issued absentee certificates indicating the first, middle and last name of the voter, his/her year of birth (for voters 18 years old - also the day and month of birth), address of the place of residence. Twenty five days prior to voting day, a territorial election commission shall, together with the first copies of voters lists, furnish to precinct election commissions certified excerpts from the journal of issued absentee certificates indicating the data of voters registered in the territory of these electoral precincts, who have received absentee certificates. Based on these excerpts a precinct election commission shall make corresponding notes in the voters lists.
5. A voter or his/her representative shall sign for the receipt of an absentee certificate in the journal of issued absentee certificates (in a territorial election commission) or in the voters list (in a precinct election commission), indicating the series and number of his/her passport or equivalent identity paper. This voter shall be excluded from the voters list of the electoral precinct in the given election of the President of the Russian Federation 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 shall be valid if it has been stamped twice with the seal of a territorial or a precinct election commission and bears two signatures of the member of the territorial or precinct election commission who issued the absentee certificate, with the detachable coupon bearing one of the signatures and one of the seals. In the event of the repeat voting an absentee certificate shall be valid if it bears the seal of a territorial or precinct election commission and the signature of the member of a territorial or precinct election commission who issued the absentee certificate.
7. Upon presentation of an absentee certificate, a voter shall be put on the voters list in any other electoral precinct. If voting is conducted in the general election of the President of the Russian Federation, the detachable coupon shall be torn away from the absentee certificate presented by a voter. In the event of the repeat voting the absentee certificate shall be withdrawn. When receiving a ballot on the basis of an absentee certificate a voter shall indicate the address of his/her place of residence in the voters list.
8. In the event of the repeat voting unused detachable coupons of absentee certificates which were issued to voters in the period from the day on which the repeat voting was declared by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation to the day preceding the day of the repeat voting shall be cancelled. On the day of the repeat voting, before voting time begins, unused absentee certificates shall be cancelled. A territorial or precinct election commission shall draw up a protocol to certify cancellation of unused detachable coupons and absentee certificates. If the President of the Russian Federation was elected as a result of the general elections or the general elections were declared to have not taken place or to be null and void, unused absentee certificates shall be cancelled by an election commission on the third day after official publication of the results of the general elections.
ARTICLE 65. Voting
1. Voting shall be conducted on a calendar non-working 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 means or, in the event of early voting in accordance with Article 66 of this Federal Law, not later than five days prior to the day of early voting.
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 voters 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 show empty stationary and mobile ballot boxes to the members of the precinct election commission, voters and persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 21 of this Federal Law. After this, the ballot boxes shall be sealed with 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 mobile ballot boxes containing ballots marked in accordance with Clauses 2 - 9 Article 66 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 in the voters lists upon presentation of a passport or an equivalent identity paper (a serviceman's card or an officer's identity card for persons who undergo military service, a certificate, other paper of a standard format issued by the internal affairs bodies, a foreign passport of the Russian Federation citizen for persons who permanently reside or currently stay outside the territory of the Russian Federation, a seaman's passport). Each voter shall be entitled to receive one ballot, save the cases provided by Clause 12 of this Article. Before issuing a ballot to a voter the member of a precinct election commission shall make sure that an absentee certificate has not been issued to the given voter, the voter has not voted early, no application from the voter for voting outside the voting premises is recorded in the journal indicated in Clause 2 Article 67 of this Federal Law and no voting members of the precinct election commission have been sent to the voter to conduct voting outside the voting premises. Upon presentation of an absentee certificate, a voter shall be additionally included in the voters list, the detachable coupon of the absentee certificate and, in the event of the repeat voting, the absentee certificate shall be taken away from the voter and cancelled.
7. When receiving a ballot, a voter shall write the series and number of his/her passport or equivalent identity paper and put his/her signature in the voters list. With the consent or at the request of the voter the series and number of his/her passport or equivalent identify paper may be written in the voters list by any voting member of a precinct election commission. The voter shall check the correctness of the entry and shall sign for the receipt of a ballot.
8. If a voter is unable to sign for the receipt of a 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, authorized representatives and agents of registered candidates, authorized representatives of an electoral association, electoral bloc, initiative voters' group which nominated a registered candidate, observers, foreign (international) observers. The person who helped the voter shall put his/her signature in the column «Voter's Signature for Receipt of Ballot» in the voters 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 in another specially equipped place or room for secret voting, where the presence of any other persons shall not be allowed.
10. A voter who is unable to mark the ballot by himself/herself may be assisted by another voter who is not a member of the election commission, a registered candidate, an authorized representative for financial matters or an agent of a registered candidate, an authorized representative of an electoral association, electoral bloc, initiative voters' group which nominated a registered candidate, 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 marked in the appropriate column (columns) of the voters list.
11. On the ballot the voter shall put any mark inside the blank box to the right of the name of the registered candidate for which he/she votes or inside the box placed 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 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 note to this effect in the voters 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 in the voting premises. Instructions of the chairman of the precinct election commission 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 of the precinct election commission or some other voting member of the given election commission authorized thereby.
15. Persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 21 of this Federal Law may be present in the voting premises during the voting, when votes are counted and when a precinct election commission draws 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. Any member of a precinct election commission shall be immediately barred from participation in the commission's work and an observer and other persons shall be expelled from the voting premises if they try to obstruct the work of the election commission or the exercise by a Russian Federation citizen of his/her electoral rights or attempt to violate the secrecy of voting. The appropriate decision shall be taken by a precinct election commission or a higher-level 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, their authorized representatives for financial matters and agents, electoral associations, electoral blocs which nominated registered candidates and the organizations whose founders, owners, possessors are and/or whose governing or supervisory 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 66. Early Voting
1. Election commissions of the Subjects of the Russian Federation 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 65 of this Federal Law. Immediately after the end of early voting votes cast by voters shall be counted and voting returns determined in accordance with the requirements of Clauses 68 and 69 of this Federal Law.
2. If separate groups of voters included in the voters 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, in remote and hard-to-reach areas, etc.) and, therefore, early voting cannot be conducted in the whole electoral precinct in accordance with Clause 1 of this Article, the election commission of the Subject of the Russian Federation may allow these groups of voters to vote early but not earlier than 15 days prior to voting day, in the course of several days, in a procedure established by Clauses 3 - 9 of this Article.
3. To conduct early voting in accordance with Clause 2 of this Article use shall be made of mobile ballot boxes the number of which shall be determined by the election commission of the Subject of the Russian Federation. Before early voting starts, empty mobile 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 21 of this Federal Law present on the commission's premises, and a protocol shall be drawn up to record this fact. After that, empty mobile 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 with the 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 mobile ballot box sealed by the precinct election commission, the required number of ballots of a standard format, an excerpt from the voters list containing data of the voters whom they are going to visit to conduct early voting or the voters 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 a ballot issued to him/her in the excerpt from the voters list or in the voters list. Election commission members who conduct early voting shall make a note in the said excerpt or in the voters list to indicate that the voter voted early and shall mark the date and time of voting. If a voter put his/her signature in the excerpt from the voters list, these notes as well as the series and number of the passport or an equivalent identity paper of the voter shall be entered in the voters list after early voting ends. The said excerpt from the voters list shall be kept together with the voters list.
7. A voter shall mark the ballot and drop it into the mobile ballot box as provided by Article 65 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 mobile ballot box.
9. After the end of early voting the slots for ballots in mobile ballot boxes shall be sealed by the chairman of a precinct election commission, and the secretary of a precinct election commission shall make arrangements for the safekeeping of the mobile ballot boxes. The mobile ballot boxes shall not be opened till commencement of vote counting at a precinct voting premises. The mobile ballot boxes with the ballots of voters who voted early shall not be used for voting on voting day.
10. Early voting may be observed by the persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 21 of this Federal Law. When early voting is to be conducted with the use of mobile ballot boxes, a precinct election commission shall make arrangements to ensure that at least two persons - non-voting members of the election commission, observers appointed by different registered candidates are offered the same possibilities as the voting members of a precinct election commission to go to the place where early voting is to be conducted.
11. Early voting may be conducted only at the time appointed by the decision of a precinct election commission. This time shall be made known to voters and persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 21 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 voters' will being distorted, make arrangements for the safekeeping of ballots and ensure that the votes of voters are reckoned in the determination of the voting returns.
ARTICLE 67. 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 in the voters 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. Save as provided otherwise by Article 66 of this Federal Law voting outside voting premises shall be carried out only on voting day and only on the basis of a written application or an oral request of a voter (which may be relayed through other persons) 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 a 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 journal.
3. The entry recording an oral request in the journal 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.) and the member's signature; the first, middle and last name of the person who relayed the message. Upon arrival of commission members to the voter the request shall be confirmed by a written application which shall be duly registered, with the indication of the time when the application was submitted.
4. A written application of a voter for voting outside the voting premises shall state the reason why the voter is unable to come to the voting premises and shall indicate the same voter data as is contained in the voters list.
5. At least 30 minutes before the departure of members of a precinct election commission, the chairman of the precinct election commission shall announce that 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) mobile ballot boxes to conduct voting as provided for by this Article, the number of such boxes to be determined by the decision of the 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 of the ballots 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 mobile ballot box sealed by the precinct election commission; the required number of ballots of a standard format; a certified extract from the journal indicated in Clause 2 of this Article containing the data required by Clause 9 Article 25 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 journal 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 65 of this Federal Law.
9. A voter shall write the series and number of his/her passport or equivalent identity paper and the address of the place of residence on his/her written application for voting outside the voting premises and shall confirm the receipt of a ballot by his/her signature. The voting members of a precinct commission shall confirm the issuance of ballots by putting their signatures on the application. A corresponding note shall also 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 journal 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 marked in the voters list by the voting members of a precinct election commission who conducted voting outside the voting premises. At the same time, the words «Voted outside voting premises» shall be written in the appropriate column (columns) of the voters list.
12. Voting outside the voting premises may be observed by non-voting members of an election commission, observers. In this case, a precinct election commission shall provide the same possibilities to come to the place of voting both to 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 and observers appointed by various registered candidates. 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 their 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 a precinct election commission were sent to him/her to conduct voting outside the voting premises, none of the members of the precinct election commission shall issue a ballot to this voter in the voting premises until the members of the precinct election commission 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 did not vote outside the voting premises.
14. After the end of voting outside the voting premises with the use of a mobile ballot box a precinct election commission shall draw up an act indicating the number of ballots issued to the commission members who conducted voting outside the voting premises; the number of written applications from voters asking for a possibility to vote outside the voting premises; the number of ballots issued to such voters; the number of returned ballots (ballots which were not used or were spoilt by voters); the data of 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.
15. Voting outside the voting premises conducted by one voting member of a precinct election commission, violation of the provisions of Clause 12 of this Article, a possibility to vote granted to voters who are not included in the journal indicated in Clause 2 of this Article shall result in the invalidation of the ballots contained in the corresponding mobile ballot box.
ARTICLE 68. Protocol of Voting Returns of a Precinct Election Commission
1. A precinct election commission shall draw up a protocol of voting returns.
2. As a rule, a precinct election commission shall draw up a protocol of voting returns shall 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 a precinct election commission and certified with the commission's seal. The protocol of a precinct election commission shall contain the following:
(a) No. of the copy;
(b) name of the election, date of voting;
(c) the word «Protocol»;
(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 in the voters list as of the end of voting;
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 at 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 mobile ballot boxes;
line 8: number of ballots in the stationary ballot boxes;
line 9: number of valid ballots;
line 10: total number of invalidated ballots;
line 11: number of ballots invalidated on the basis of Clause 14 Article 69 of this Federal Law (if the number of ballots found in a mobile ballot box exceeds the number of voters' applications marked to certify receipt of ballots or the number of notes in the voters list indicating that the voters voted early);
line 12: number of invalid ballots where none of the boxes are marked;
line 13: number of absentee certificates received by the precinct election commission;
line 14: number of absentee certificates issued to voters by the precinct election commission in the premises of the electoral precinct before voting day;
line 15: number of voters who voted in the electoral precinct on the basis of absentee certificates;
line 16: number of unused absentee certificates (in the event of the repeat voting - the number of cancelled unused absentee certificates);
line 17: number of detachable coupons of absentee certificates cancelled in accordance with Clause 6 Article 65 of this Federal Law (in the event of the repeat voting - the number of absentee certificates cancelled in accordance with Clause 6 Article 65 of this Federal Law);
(f) the list of complaints (statements), records, 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 date and time (hours, minutes) when the protocol was singed (if the protocol contains more than one sheet - each sheet of the protocol shall be signed);
(i) the seal of the election commission (if the protocol contains more than one sheet - each sheet of the protocol shall be sealed).
3. The following data shall be entered in line 18 and subsequent lines of the protocol of voting returns:
the fist, middle and last names of the registered candidates put on the ballot, in the alphabetical order, and, if these names coincide, other data of the registered candidates;
the number of votes cast for each registered candidate;
the number of votes cast against all candidates.
4. The numerical data indicated in Clauses 2 and 3 of this Article shall be entered in the protocol of voting returns in numerals and in words.
ARTICLE 69. Counting of Votes and Compilation of the Protocol of Voting Returns by Precinct Election Commissions
1. The votes cast by voters shall be counted openly and publicly, directly by the voting members of a precinct election commission. The persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 21 of this Federal Law shall be given a possibility to be present at and observe vote counting.
2. After the end of voting time, 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 shall begin immediately after the voting time ends and shall be continued without interruption until the voting returns are tabulated. These voting returns shall 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, the voting members of a precinct election commission in the presence of persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 21 of this Federal Law shall count unused ballots and 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 and against the line «Against all 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 this data in line 4 of the protocol of voting returns and in its oversize version. Then members of the precinct election commission shall announce the number of unused absentee certificates and shall enter this number in line 16 of the protocol of voting returns and its oversize version. Detachable coupons of absentee certificates and, in the event of the repeat voting, absentee certificates cancelled in pursuance of Clause 6 Article 65 of this Federal Law shall be counted and their number shall be announced and entered in line 17 of the protocol of voting returns and its oversize version. The cancelled ballots, detachable coupons 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 precinct election commission.
4. Before starting to count votes the voting members of a precinct election commission shall sum up the following data on each sheet of the voters list and mark the summarized data on the sheets:
(a) the number of voters put on the list (minus the voters issued absentee certificates by the territorial and the precinct election commission);
(b) the number of ballots issued to voters at the voting premises of the electoral precinct on voting day (to be established on the basis of the number of voter signatures in the voters list);
(c) the number of ballots issued to voters who voted outside the voting premises (to be established on the basis of the number of the corresponding notes in the voters list);
(d) the number of voters who voted early (to be established on the basis of the number of the corresponding notes in the voters list);
(e) the number of absentee certificates issued by the precinct election commission to voters of the electoral precinct;
(f) the number of voters who voted at the voting premises of the electoral precinct on the basis of absentee certificates.
5. After entering the data indicated in Clause 4 of this Article the voting member of a precinct election commission who entered this data shall sign each sheet of the voters list, sum up this data and announce the summarized data to the chairman, the deputy chairman or the secretary of the precinct election commission and to persons present at vote counting. The chairman, the deputy chairman or the secretary of the precinct election commission shall write the summarized data, i.e., the sum total of the data determined in accordance with Clause 4 of this Article, on the last sheet of the voters list and shall certify this data with his/her signature and the seal of the precinct election commission. After that, the voters list shall be made available for examination to persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 21 of this Federal Law.
6. The chairman, the deputy chairman or the secretary of a precinct election commission shall check and announce the following data and then enter this data in lines 1 and 2 of the protocol of voting returns and in its oversize version:
(a) the number of voters in the voters list as of the end of voting;
(b) the number of ballots received by the precinct election commission.
7. The following data shall be announced and entered in lines 13, 14, 15 of the protocol of voting returns and in its oversize version:
(a) the number of absentee certificates received by the precinct election commission;
(b) the number of absentee certificates issued by the precinct election commission to voters of the electoral precinct;
(c) the number of voters who voted in the electoral precinct on the basis of absentee certificates.
8. Then, the following data shall be announced and entered in lines 3, 5, and 6 of the protocol of voting returns and in its oversize version:
(a) the number of ballots issued to voters at 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 voted early in accordance with Clauses 2 - 9 Article 66 of this Federal Law.
9. After this, the chairman or the secretary of a precinct election commission shall take steps to ensure the safekeeping of the voters list and make it inaccessible to persons participating in vote counting. No further work shall be carried out on the voters list until the control relationships of data entered in the protocol of voting returns are checked as provided by Clause 22 of this Article.
10. Votes cast by voters shall be counted directly by the voting members of a precinct election commission from the ballots in the ballot boxes.
11. Non-voting members of a precinct election commission, persons listed in Clause 5 Article 21 of this Federal Law shall be entitled to be present at vote counting.
12. Direct counting of votes shall be carried out at the voting premises in places arranged so as to be accessible for the voting and non-voting members of a precinct election commission. While counting votes members of a precinct election commission, with the exception of the chairman (deputy chairman) and the secretary of a precinct election commission, shall not use any writing utensils. At such time, all persons present at vote counting must have a possibility to observe the actions of members of the precinct election commission.
13. In the course of direct counting of votes a 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. At first, it shall be necessary to count ballots in the mobile ballot boxes: first in the boxes containing ballots left by voters who voted early, then in the boxes containing ballots left by voters who voted outside the voting premises on voting day. Before each mobile ballot box is opened the number of voters who voted with the use of the given mobile ballot box shall be announced and then the chairman of a precinct election commission shall ask the commission members and other persons present at vote counting to check the integrity of the seals on the box. Ballots shall be counted in such a way as to avoid violating the secrecy of voting; non-standard ballots shall be placed separately. The number of standard ballots taken out of the mobile boxes shall be announced and entered in line 7 of the protocol of voting returns and in its oversize version. If the number of standard ballots in a mobile ballot is found to be larger than the number of notes in the voters list indicating that the voters voted early or larger than the number of applications of voters marked to certify receipt of ballots, all ballots in the given mobile ballot box shall be invalidated by the 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 surnames and initials of the members of the election commission who conducted early voting, voting outside the voting premises using this mobile ballot box. The number of ballots invalidated in this case shall be entered in line 11 of the protocol of voting returns and in its oversize version and shall not be reckoned in direct vote counting. Such ballots shall be packed in a separate sealed bundle.
15. The stationary ballot boxes shall be opened after the seals thereon are checked and found intact.
16. The voting members of a precinct election commission shall sort out the ballots taken out of the mobile and stationary ballot boxes into separate bundles according to the votes cast for each registered candidate, and against all candidates; at the same time, they shall separate ballots which do not conform to the standard format and invalid ballots. While sorting out the ballots, the voting members of the precinct election commission shall read aloud the notes made by voters on ballots and show ballots to all persons present at vote 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 on the standard ballots. Not less than two voting members of a precinct election commission shall count the ballots in accordance with the votes cast for each registered candidate and the votes cast «Against all candidates.» The counts shall be first announced and then entered in line 18 and subsequent lines of the protocol of voting returns and its oversize version.
18. Invalid ballots shall be counted and summed up separately. The total number of invalid ballots, including the ballots invalidated on the basis of Clause 14 of this Article, shall be announced and entered in line 10 of the protocol of voting returns and its oversize version. The number of invalid ballots where none of the options are marked shall be entered in line 12 of the protocol and its oversize version. Ballots shall be invalidated if they make it impossible to establish the expression of a voter's will, specifically the ballots wherein a mark (marks) was (were) put in more than one box or in none of the boxes. If any doubts arise in pronouncing a ballot invalid, a 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 its seal.
19. After counting the invalidated ballots the voting members of a precinct election commission shall sum up the data of line 18 and the subsequent lines of the protocol of voting returns, announce the number of valid ballots and enter this number in line 9 of the protocol of voting returns and its oversize version.
20. The voting members of a precinct election commission shall count the number of standard ballots in the stationary ballot boxes, announce this number and enter it in line 8 of the protocol of voting returns and in its oversize version.
21. Non-voting members of a precinct election commission, observers, foreign (international) observers may examine the sorted out ballots under the supervision of the voting members of the precinct election commission.
22. After the ballots have been counted, a check shall be made using the control relationships between the data entered in the protocol of voting returns (Annex 4). If the control relationships fail to coincide, a precinct election commission shall carry out additional counting of votes for all or some of the lines of the protocol of voting returns, including additional counting of ballots. If changes have to be made in the protocol of voting returns as a result of additional counting, a new blank form of the protocol shall be completed and the necessary changes shall be made in its oversize version. The protocol of voting returns completed earlier shall be attached to the first copy of the protocol of voting returns of a precinct election commission.
23. After the counting is completed the ballots shall be packed in separate bundles according to the registered candidates for which votes were cast in the ballots. Separate bundles shall contain ballots in which votes were cast against all candidates and invalidated and cancelled ballots. Each bundle shall be marked to indicate the quantity of ballots in the bundle, the name of the registered candidate marked in these ballots or shall be marked «Invalidated ballots,» «Against all 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 of ballots. The bags or boxes shall be sealed and may be opened only by the decision of a higher-level election commission or a court. Voting and non-voting members of a precinct election commission may put their signatures on these bags or boxes.
24. The protocol of voting returns shall be completed in three copies and shall be signed by all present voting members of a precinct election commission.
25. If some voting members of a precinct election commission are absent when the protocol of voting returns is completed, a note to this effect shall be made in the protocol indicating the reason for their absence. The protocol shall be valid if it is signed by the majority of the established number of voting members of a precinct election commission.
26. The protocol of voting returns shall not be completed with a pencil and no changes shall be made therein. At the signing of the protocol voting members of a precinct election commission who dissent from the contents of the protocol may attach their dissenting opinion to the protocol and a note to this effect shall be made in the protocol.
27. Upon the request of any member of a precinct election commission and persons indicated in Clause 5 of Article 21 this Federal Law, immediately after the protocol of voting returns (including a redrafted protocol) is signed the precinct election commission shall provide a copy of the protocol of voting returns to these persons or allow them to copy the protocol and shall certify the copy.
28. After the protocol of voting returns was signed by all present voting members of the precinct election commission and after its copies were, on their request, issued to or certified for all persons present at vote counting from among persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 21 of this Federal Law the first copy of the protocol of voting returns of the precinct election commission shall be, without delay, forwarded to the territorial commission and shall not be returned to the precinct election commission. Precinct election commissions formed outside the territory of the Russian Federation shall forward the first copy of the protocol of voting returns together with attached documents directly to the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. Attached to the first copy of the protocol of voting returns shall be dissenting opinions of voting members of a precinct election commission, complaints (statements) about violations of this Federal Law received by the precinct election commission, decisions taken by the precinct election commission on these complaints (statements) as well as the commission's acts, records and journals. The certified copies of these documents and decisions of a precinct election commission shall be attached to the second copies of the protocol.
29. The second copy of the protocol of voting returns together with the electoral documentation provided for by this Federal Law, including sealed ballots and lists of non-voting members of a precinct election commission, persons indicated in Clause 5 of Article 21 of this Federal Law who were present at the tabulation of voting returns and compilation of the protocol, as well as the seal of a precinct election commission shall be kept by the secretary of the precinct election commission under a seal in a guarded room until the commission finishes its work. The electoral documentation including sealed ballots shall be handed over to the territorial commissions not later than five days after official publication of the general results of the election of the President of the Russian Federation.
30. The third copy of the protocol shall be shown to persons indicated in Clause 5 Article 21 of this Federal Law and then shall be posted for examination by general public in a place designated by a precinct election commission. Five days after voting day the third copy of the protocol shall be handed over to the territorial election commission.
31. If the necessary technical equipment is available, subject to a decision of the election commission of the Subject of the Russian Federation and approval by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation of the use of technical devices (including ballot scanners) for counting votes, territorial election commissions shall determine electoral precincts where such technical devices may be used. The voting returns tabulated with the aid of the said technical devices shall be regarded as preliminary information which has no legal force.
32. When technical devices are used for vote counting, no vote counting data shall be disclosed until the end of voting at the v
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