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Article 28
 
Article 28. Organization of Operation of Commissions
1. Commissions shall operate on a collective basis.
2. A commission shall be qualified to start functioning if at least two thirds of the total predetermined established number of its members have been appointed.
3. A commission operating on a permanent basis shall convene its first meeting not later than on the fifteenth day after the decision on the appointment of its voting members is adopted. In this case, at least two- thirds of the total number of its members shall be appointed. The powers of the previous commission shall cease as of the date of the first meeting of the new commission. The term of powers of a commission shall be countedcommence from the date of its first meeting.
4. The chairman of the election commission of a subject of the Russian Federation shall be elected by secret ballot at its the commission’s first meeting from among voting members of the election commission at theon the basis of the proposal nomination made byof the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.
5. The chairman of the a municipality election commission shall be elected by secret ballot at its first meeting from among voting members of the election commission in accordance with the following procedure:
a) in the event there is a nomination by if the election commission of the a subject of the Russian Federation has made the nomination, according to at the nomination of the election commission of the a subject of the Russian Federation;
b) in the event there is no nomination byif the election commission of the a subject of the Russian Federation has not made the nomination, at nominationsaccording to the nomination made by by voting members of the municipality election commission.
6. If a candidature for the chairman of a commission nominated by the commission is rejected, the election commission that made the nomination in accordance with Clauses 4 and 5 of this article shall nominate another candidature from among the voting members of the commission.
7. Chairmen of district, territorial, and precinct commissions shall be appointed from among voting members of such commissions and may be removed by the commissions of the next higher level.
8. The deputy chairman and the secretary of a commission shall be elected by secret ballot at the commission’s first meeting from among voting members of the commission.
9. Meetings of a commission shall be convened by its chairman as frequently as required. A meeting shall also be held if requested by at least one- third of the established number of voting members of the commission.
10. A voting member of a commission shall attend at all meetings of the commission.
11. A meeting of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall be valid competent if attended by at least ten voting members of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. A meeting of another commission shall be valid competent if attended by a majority of the established number of voting members of this commission.
12. Upon request of any member of a commission or any member of a higher commission present at the meeting, the commission shall take a vote on any matter within its competence that is considered by the commission at the meeting in accordance with the approved agenda.
13. Decisions of a commission regarding nomination, election or removal of its chairman, deputy chairman and secretary, regarding issues of financial support of the preparation and conduct of elections and referendums, registration of candidates, lists of candidates, bringing legal actions for cancellation of the registration of candidates, vote returns or election results, referendum results, declaring an election or referendum as not having taken place or invalid, as well as decisions regarding repeat voting or repeat election, cancellation of a decision of a commission in the procedure provided for by Clause 11, Article 20 and Clauses 6 and 7, Article 75 of this Federal Law shall be made taken at a meeting of the commission its meeting by a majority of the established number of voting members of the commission. Decisions on removal of the chairman, the deputy chairman, or the secretary who were elected to occupy these offices shall be made taken by secret ballot (except when these officials are removed at their personal request), and election of a new chairman, deputy chairman, or secretary of the commission shall take place in accordance with the procedure established by Clauses 4, 5, 6, and 8 of this article.
14. A commission shall take decisions on other issues by a majority of the votes of the present voting members of the commission.
15. In the event of a tie vote, the vote of the chairman (the person chairing the meeting) of the commission shall be have a casting vote.
16. Decisions of a commission shall be signed by its chairman and secretary (the person chairing the meeting and the meeting’s secretary).
17. Voting members of a commission who disagree withdissent from a decision made taken by the commission, shall be entitled to express in writing their dissenting opinion which shall be considered by the commission, recorded in the minutes, attached thereto, and brought by the commission chairman to the notice of the higher commission not later than three days after the decision is madetaken, and immediately if submitted on voting day or the day following voting day.
18. The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, the election commissions of subjects of the Russian Federation, municipality election commissions of municipalities, territorial commissions that operate on a permanent basis and are legal entities shall have their staff, the structure and staffing plan of which shall be set by such commissions on their ownindependently. Staff officers employees of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation shall have the status of federal state employees. FillingOccupying, by staff officers employees of the election commissions of subjects of the Russian Federation, territorial commissions, municipality election commissions of municipalities that operate on a permanent basis and are legal entities, of, respectively, offices of state service of subjects of the Russian Federation, offices of municipal service shall be governed by laws and other regulatory acts of subjects of the Russian Federation, the charters of municipalities, and other regulatory acts of bodies of local self-government. Levels of financial support (including the size and nature of monetary compensations, other benefits) and social support of commission staff officers employees filling offices of state service or municipal service shall be established, respectively, by the federal laws and other regulatory acts of the Russian Federation, laws and other regulatory acts of subjects of the Russian Federation, regulatory acts of bodies of local self-government. Federal bodies of state power, bodies of state power of subjects of the Russian Federation, bodies of local self-government shall take necessary measures to provide financial and social support (including medical, recreational, housing, pension support, and other types of support) of commission staff officersemployees.
19. Commissions may engage involve citizens on a contractual basis in order to perform work related to the preparation and conduct of elections, referendums.