Home > 2.3.2 International observers > RUSSIAN FEDERATION - Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens to Participate in a Referendum
 
 
 
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Article 30
 
Article 30. Openness in Activities of Commissions
1. Members of higher commissions, a candidate registered by the given or a higher commission or his agent, an authorized representative or an agent of the electoral association, electoral bloc whose list of candidates has been registered by this or a higher commission or a candidate from the said list, a member or an authorized representative of the referendum initiative group may attend all meetings of the commission, and when the appropriate precinct, territorial commissions are working on lists of voters, referendum participants, ballots, absentee certificates, protocols on vote returns. The aforementioned persons shall not need any additional permission to attend the meetings and be present when the election commission is working with the said electoral documentssessions of work with the aforementioned election-related documents, documents related to the preparation and conduct of a referendum. The commission shall inform the aforementioned se persons and provide free access for themof to its meetings and sessions of workto the premises where the commission is working with the aforementioned election-relatedelectoral documents, documents related to the preparation and conduct of a referendum and shall provide free access for the aforementioned persons to such meetings and sessions. Members of the press may also be present at all meetings of the commissions, when it is working with the said documents and counting votes cast by voters, referendum participantsThe meetings, sessions of work with the aforementioned election-related documents, documents related to the preparation and conduct of a referendum, and counting of votes cast by voters, referendum participants may also be attended by members of the press .
2. Decisions of commissions that are directly related to the preparation and conduct of an election, a referendum shall be published in state-owned or municipal periodic print media or otherwise communicated to voters, referendum participants in another way, and provided to other mass media in the scopein the scope and within the periods established by law.
3. On voting day from the time the precinct commission begins its work and until it is notified by the higher commission about acceptance of the protocol of vote returns and also when votes cast by voters, referendum participants are recounted, the persons referred to in Clause 1 of this article as well as observers, foreign (international) observers may be present at the polling stations.
4. At an election, an observer may be appointed by a registered candidate, electoral association, electoral bloc, public association that must be established and registered at a level corresponding with the level of the election, or on a higher level. In a referendum, an observer may be appointed by the referendum initiative group, a public association that must have beenbe established and registered at a level corresponding with the level of the referendum or on a higher level. Elective officials, their direct subordinates, judges, and prosecutors shall not be appointed observers.
5. Access to the premises of the precinct commission of in any election precinct, referendum precinct formed on the territory of a military unit, closed administrative-territorial unit, at a hospital, sanatorium, holiday hotel, investigation and pretrial detention wards and to the polling station in this election precinct, referendum precinct shall be provided to all members of the precinct commission, persons indicated in Clause 1 of this article, observers.
6. Observers, foreign (international) observers may be present at other commissions when they are conducting early voting, determining vote returns, results of elections, compiling relevant protocols on vote returns, election results or when votes are being recounted.
7. The powers of an observer shall be certified by written credentials issued by a registered candidate or his agent, an electoral association, an electoral bloc, a public association, the referendum initiative group represented by the observer. The credentials must indicate the surname, first name and patronymic of the observer; address of his place of residence; number of the electoral precinct; name of the election commission (district, territorial, precinct election commission) to which the observer is sent. Provision of any additional information about the observer shall not be required and the credentials need not be certified by a seal if the observer is appointed by a candidate or his agent. These credentials shall be valid if produced together with a document certifying the identity of the observer. An advance notification about sending of an observer shall not be required.
8. The document indicated in Clause 7 of this article may be presented to a precinct commission in the period indicated in Clause 3 of this article, to a territorial or another commission, at early voting or in the period from the commencement of voting in electoral precincts, referendum precincts to the completion of the final protocol for the relevant territory. Two or more observers representing the same registered candidate, electoral association, electoral bloc, public association, referendum initiative group shall not simultaneously exercise their powers on the premises of the commission, at the polling station. No restrictions other than those imposed by this Federal Law shall be established on the presence of observers on the premises of an election commission or at the polling station; on monitoring of voting and vote counting, preparation of the protocols of vote returns; on the issuance of copies of the protocols of vote returns.
9. Observers shall be entitled to:
a) inspect voters lists, lists of referendum participants;
b) be present at polling stations of the relevant electoral precinct, referendum precinct on voting day at any time during the period specified in Clause 3 of this article;
c) attend the voting procedure at an election, a referendum outside the polling station;
d) watch the number of citizens being entered in the lists of voters, referendum participants, ballots being issued to voters, referendum participants, canceled ballots being counted; watch votes cast by voters, referendum participants being counted at the polling station at elections, a referendum from a distance and under conditions which allow them to see the marks made by voters, referendum participants on the ballots; inspect any marked and unmarked ballot when votes cast by voters, referendum participants are being counted; watch the commission preparing the protocol of vote returns and other documents during the period indicated in Clause 3 of this article;
e) apply to the chairman of the precinct commission, and in the event of the Chairman’s absence, to the person acting in the chairman’s capacity, and make proposals and comments regarding the organization of the voting procedure;
f) inspect the protocols of the relevant commission, lower commissions of vote returns, returns results of the election, the referendum and documents attached thereto, receive from the relevant commission certified copies of such protocols and documents or make copies of such protocols or documents. Upon request of an observer, the commission shall issue such copies or certify copies made by the observer;
g) wear a badge indicating the observer’s status, family surname, given first name, patronymic name, and also the family surname, given first name, patronymic name of the registered candidate or the name of the electoral association, electoral bloc, public organization that have sent the observer to the commission;
h) appeal, in the procedure established by Article 75 of this Federal Law, actions (omissions) of a commission to the higher commission, the election commission of the subject of the Russian Federation, the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation or a court;
i) be present when the appropriate commissions are recounting votes cast by voters, referendum participants.
10. An observer shall not:
a) issue ballots to voters or referendum participants;
b) sign for a voter, referendum participant for receipt of ballots even when asked to do so by the voter, referendum participant;
c) complete mark ballots for a voter, referendum participant even upon his request;
d) do anything violating the secrecy of ballotvoting;
e) directly participate in ballot counting conducted by voting members of the commission;
f) do anything interfering with the work of the commission;
g) conduct campaigning among voters, referendum participants;
h) participate in the adoption of decisions by the relevant commission.
11. Members of the press shall be entitled to examine the protocol of vote returns of the precinct commission and the protocols of vote returns or results of the elections, referendum of other commissions, make or receive from the appropriate commission copies of the said protocols and documents attached thereto. At a request of a representative of the mass mediamember of the press, the commission shall certify a copy of the protocol of vote returns or results of the elections, referendum.
12. Copies of protocols and other documents of commissions shall be certified by the chairman, or the deputy chairman, or the secretary of the relevant commission. In this case, the aforementioned persons shall write "This is a true copy" on the copy being certified, sign the copy, indicate the date and the time of certification, and affix the seal of the relevant commission.
13. Foreign (international) observers shall receive the permit to enter the Russian Federation in the procedures provided for by the federal law and, if invited by the bodies of state power, commissions organizing the election, the referendum, they shall be accredited by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. Foreign (international) observers shall conduct their activities in compliance with the federal laws.