Article 21. Procedure for Formation and Status of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation
1. The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall be a federal state body organizing the preparation and conduct of elections, referendums in the Russian Federation in accordance with its powers established by this Federal Law, other federal laws.
2. The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall operate on a permanent basis and shall be a legal entity.
3. The term of powers of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall be four years. In the eventIf the term of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation expires in the periodin the period of an election campaign, in the periodin the period between the setting announcement of a referendum of the Russian Federation and the end of the referendum campaign organized by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, the term of powers of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall be extended until the end of the election campaign, referendum campaign. This provision shall not apply to repeat elections or by-elections of deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation in single-seat electoral districts.
4. The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall consist of fifteen members. Five members of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall be appointed by the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation out offrom among the candidates proposed by the factions, other associations of deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, or by individual deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. Each association of deputies in the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation may appoint not more than one representative. Five members of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall be appointed by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation out offrom among the candidates nominated by the legislative (representative) bodies of state power of subjects of Russian Federation and top officials executives of subjects of the Russian Federation (the heads of the highest executive bodies of state power of subjects of the Russian Federation). Five members of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall be appointed by the President of the Russian Federation.
5. Members of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall must have higher legal education or an advanced academic degree in law.
6. Members of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall organize work by in specific areas of activity of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation defined by the Rules of Procedure of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, and shall bear responsibility for the results of work in the said areas.
7. Members of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall elect, out offrom among their number members and by secret ballot , the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, the Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation and the Secretary of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.
8. The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall be theact as an election commission organizing elections to elections of federal bodies of state power, and the as a referendum commission organizing referendums of the Russian Federation.
9. The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall:
?) exercise control over the observance of the electoral rights of citizens of the Russian Federation and the right of citizens to participate in a referendum;
b) develop standard quotas for technological equipment required for the work of commissions, approve these standard quotas, and exercise control over observance thereof, and arrange for the placement of orders for manufacturing of such standard technological equipment;
c) ensure the implementation of measures related to the preparation and conduct of elections, referendums, improvement of the electoral system in the Russian Federation; introduction, operation, and improvement of means of automation, legal education of voters, professional training of commission members, and other individuals involved in organization of elections, referendums, publication of requisite required printed materials;
d) implement measures aimed at ensuring a uniform procedure for allocation of air time and space in print media between to registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs for the purposes of election campaigning, between to the referendum initiative group and other groups of referendum participants for the purposes of campaigning on issuesquestions of the referendum, tallying determination of the vote returns, establishment of the results of elections, referendums, and as well as ensuring the procedure for publication of the voting vote resultsreturns, the outcomes results of elections, referendums;
e) implement measures aimed at arranging for the funding of the preparation and conduct of elections, referendums; distribute the funds allocated from the federal budget as financial support to the preparation and conduct of elections, referendums; control the proper use of the above funds;
f) render legal, methodological, organizational, and technical support to commissions;
g) implement international cooperation in the field of electoral systems;
h) hear the information of federal bodies of executive power, executive bodies of subjects of the Russian Federation and bodies of local self-government on issues related to the preparation and conduct of elections to elections of federal bodies of state power and referendums of the Russian Federation;
i) set standards by which lists of voters, referendum participants and other electoral documents and documents related to the preparation and conduct of referendums are to be produced;
j) consider complaints appeals (applicationsgrievances) about against decisions and actions (omissions) of lower commissions, and take reasoned decisions on such appeals (grievances)complaints (applications);
k) exercise other powers in accordance with this Federal Law, other federal laws.
10. The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall consider complaints appeals against decisions and actions (omissions) of the election commissions of subjects of the Russian Federation and officials thereof that are claimed to have violatinged the electoral rights of citizens and the right of citizens to participate in referendums at elections to elections of bodies of state power of subjects of the Russian Federation, referendums of subjects of the Russian Federation, elections to elections of bodies of local self-government, local referendums in accordance with Clause 7, Article 75 of this Federal Law.
11. The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall, within the limits of the funds allocated to it under the federal law on the federal budget for the relevant fiscal year in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, determine the amount of and set the procedure for compensation of workers of institutions and organizations established to support its operation.
12. The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, in conjunctiontogether with federal bodies of state power, the election commissions of subjects of the Russian Federation, bodies of executive power of subjects of the Russian Federation, and bodies of local self-government shall organize a state system of registration of voters, referendum participants and be involvedtake part in the implementation of such registration.
13. The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, within the scope of its authoritycompetence, shall be entitled to issue binding binding manualsinstructions on issuesrelated to the of uniform application of this Federal Law.
14. The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall be entitled to issue conclusions on compliance of laws and other regulations of subjects of the Russian Federation with this Federal Law and other federal laws that govern the electoral rights of citizens of the Russian Federation and their right to participate in a referendum.
15. The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall have its official printed bulletin.
