Home > 1.3 Free suffrage > RUSSIAN FEDERATION - Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens to Participate in a Referendum
 
 
 
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Article 64
 
Article 64. Voting Procedure
1. The time of the commencement and the end of voting at an election, referendum shall be established by law, and the duration of voting shall not be less than ten hours. If voting day at an election of bodies of state power of a subject of the Russian Federation, bodies of local self-government, at a referendum of a subject of the Russian Federation, a local referendum is the same as voting day at an election of federal bodies of state power, the House of Representatives of the Union State, at a referendum of the Russian Federation, the provisions of federal law that set the time of commencement and end of voting shall apply.
2. The time and place of voting shall be communicated to voters, referendum participants by territorial and precinct commissions not later than 20 days before voting day through mass media or otherwise, and if early or repeat voting is conducted the time and place of voting shall be communicated in the procedure and at the time established by law but not later than five days before voting day.
3. On voting day and before the beginning of voting, the chairman of a precinct commission shall present for inspection by members of the precinct commission, by voters, referendum participants who are present, by persons specified in Clause 3, Article 30 of this Federal Law empty ballot boxes (relevant compartments of the technical vote counting equipment, if any) that are then sealed with the precinct commission’s seal.
4. Each voter, referendum participant shall vote in person, voting on behalf of other voters, referendum participants shall be prohibited.
5. Ballots shall be issued to voters, referendum participants who are included in a list of voters, referendum participants against presentation of their passports or equivalent identity documents, and if a voter, referendum participant votes on the basis of an absentee certificate, against presentation of such absentee certificate.
6. When receiving a ballot, a voter, referendum participant shall write the series and number of his passport or equivalent identity document in the list of voters, referendum participants. With the consent of a voter, referendum participant or at his request, the series and number of the passport or equivalent identity document presented by him may be written in the list of voters, referendum participants by a voting member of the precinct commission. The voter, referendum participant shall verify the correctness of the entry and sign in the respective box of the list of voters, referendum participants for receipt of a ballot. In the event of voting on the basis of an absentee certificate, additional notes shall be made in the list of voters, referendum participants. In the event of voting with more than one ballot at a time, a voter, referendum participant shall sign for receipt of each ballot. The member of the precinct commission who issued a ballot (ballots) to a voter, referendum participant shall also sign in the relevant box of the list of voters, referendum participants.
7. A voter, referendum participant shall vote by putting any mark in the box (boxes) corresponding to the candidate (candidates) or a list of candidates chosen by the voter or the box to the right of the words "Against all candidates" ("Against all lists of candidates"), and in a referendum ballot, by putting any mark in the box corresponding to the option chosen.
8. A ballot shall be marked by a voter, referendum participant in a specially equipped booth or another specially equipped place where the presence of other persons shall not be allowed, save as otherwise provided by Clause 10 of this article.
9. If a voter, referendum participant thinks that he has made a mistake when marking a ballot, he may ask the commission member who had issued the ballot to give him a new ballot in place of the spoilt one. The commission member shall issue a new ballot to the voter, note this fact in the list of voters, referendum participants against the name of this voter. The spoilt ballot shall be immediately cancelled, and a statement to this effect shall be made.
10. A voter, referendum participant who is not able to sign for receipt of a ballot or mark a ballot by himself may be assisted by another voter, referendum participant who is not a member of the commission, or a registered candidate, or an authorized representative or agent of an electoral association, electoral bloc, registered candidate, a referendum initiative group, or an observer. In this case, a voter shall orally inform the election commission of his intention to ask for assistance in marking the ballot. The surname, first name and patronymic, series and number of the passport or an equivalent identity document of the person assisting such voter, referendum participant shall be indicated in the appropriate box (boxes) of the list of voters, referendum participants.
11. Voters, referendum participants shall drop marked ballots into sealed (tamper-proof) ballot boxes or into the technical vote counting equipment, if such equipment is used.
12. A member of a precinct commission shall be immediately barred from participation in its work and an observer and other persons shall be expelled from the polling station if they commit a violation of a law governing the election, the referendum. In this case, a reasoned written decision to this effect shall be taken by the precinct commission. The decision shall be taken in writing. The law enforcement authorities shall enforce the decision and take steps to bring the barred member of the precinct commission, expelled observer and other offenders to responsibility under the legislation of the Russian Federation.
13. Registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, members of referendum initiative groups and their agents or authorized representatives as well as the organizations, which are founded, owned, possessed by the said persons and organizations and/or which have leading bodies where the said persons and organizations are represented, other natural persons and legal entities acting at the request or on the instructions of the said persons and organizations shall not take any actions to arrange for transportation of voters, referendum participants for participation in voting.
14. The law of a subject of the Russian Federation may provide for the possibility of voting by post for voters, referendum participants. In this case, these votes shall be deemed received by the relevant commission if delivered not later than the end of voting on voting day. The procedure for voting by post at elections of bodies of state power of subjects of the Russian Federation, bodies of local self-government, referendums of a subject of the Russian Federation, locals referendums shall, until this issue is regulated by a federal law, be established by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.