Home > 6 Political parties > RUSSIAN FEDERATION - Federal Law on Elections of Deputies to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
 
 
 
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Article 79
 

1. The procedure of production and delivery of ballots, and the procedure for exercising control over their production and delivery shall be approved by the Central Election Commission no later than 45 days before voting day.


2. To protect against forgery of ballots during their production, paper with water marks shall be used, or paper with typographically inscribed micro script and protective netting, or a special character (mark) may be used for the same purpose. The procedure for making and using special characters (marks), their number, as well as the requirements for the transfer of special characters (marks) by higher election commissions to lower election commissions shall be approved by the Central Election Commission no later than 60 days before voting day.


3. To assist visually impaired voters, by decision of the relevant election commission, special stencils for the completion of ballots shall be made, including using the relief-dot Braille. Polling stations for which such stencils shall be made shall be determined by decision of the election commission of a Russian Federation subject.


4. In order to vote in elections to the State Duma, ballots for voting in the federal electoral district and in single-mandate electoral district shall be produced, which should differ in form. The form and text of the ballot for voting in the federal electoral district in Russian, as well as the form of the ballot for voting in single-mandate electoral districts shall be approved by the Central Election Commission no later than 23 days before voting day. The text of the ballot for voting in single-mandate electoral districts in Russian shall be approved by district election commissions no later than 22 days before voting day. The text of the ballot must be placed on one side of the ballot, except in cases when the ballot for voting in the federal electoral district includes more than 20 registered federal lists of candidates, and the ballot voting in single-mandate electoral districts - more than 30 registered candidates. In these cases, the ballot paper may be produced in the form of a brochure. If transparent ballot boxes are used, the form of ballot is set taking into account the need to protect the secrecy of voting, except in cases when by decision of the Central Election Commission envelopes are used for this purpose.


5. The ballot for voting in the federal electoral district shall include, in the order determined by drawing lots, the names of political parties which registered federal lists of candidates, as well as the emblems of these political parties (if they were submitted to the Central Election Commission in accordance with part 3 of Article 37 of the present Federal Law) in monochrome version. The draw shall be conducted by the Central Election Commission, with participation of authorized representatives of political parties, not later than 30 days before voting day. The number obtained by the political party as a result of the draw, shall be maintained until the end of the election campaign. Under the name of the political party, the surname, first name and patronymic of registered candidates on the federal part of a federal list of candidates shall be placed; the number of the regional group of candidates (if any) and the surname, firstname and patronymic of the first three registered candidates included in this regional group of candidates. If there is no federal part and appropriate regional group of candidates in the federal list of candidates, the ballot shall contain only the name of the political party that registered this federal list of candidates, and its emblem (if it was presented to the Central Election Commission in accordance with Part 3 of Article 37 of the present Federal Law). If there is no federal part in the federal list of candidates, the ballot shall include the name of the political party that registered this federal list of candidates, its emblem (if it was presented to the Central Election Commission in accordance with Part 3 of Article 37 of the present Federal Law), the number of the corresponding regional group of candidates and surname, first name and patronymic of the first three registered candidates included in this regional group of candidates. If more than ten federal lists of candidates are registered, by decision of the Central Election Commission the ballot shall include only names of political parties which registered federal lists of candidates, and the emblems of these political parties (if they were submitted to the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation in accordance with Part 3 of Article 37 of the present Law). In this case, the surname, first name and patronymic of the registered candidates on the federal part of the federal lists of candidates, the number of corresponding regional groups of candidates, surnames, first names and patronymics of the first three registered candidates included in these regional groups of candidates, as well as other information provided by this Article, shall be indicated in special information material, which shall be made according to the form prescribed by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, election commission of a Russian Federation subject. This information material shall be placed in the cabin or other specially equipped place for secret voting and (or) on the information board referred to in part 3 of Article 78 of the present Federal Law.


6. An empty square shall be placed to the right of the name of each political party or under the name of each political party and information about the registered candidates included in the corresponding regional group of candidates (if any).


7. In the ballot for voting in a single-mandate electoral district the surnames of registered candidates shall be placed in alphabetical order, while the ballot shall contain the following information about each of the registered candidates:


1) If the last name, first name and patronymic of two or more candidates fully coincide, information about the candidates are placed on the ballot, in accordance with the dates of birth of the candidates (first - information about the older candidate). Additionally, if candidate changed the last name, or first name or patronymic during the election campaign or during the course of the year until the day of official announcement (publication) of a decision to call the election, the ballot should also indicate previous last name, first name and patronymic of the candidate;


2) year of birth;


3) place of residence (name of the subject of the Russian Federation, district, city or other locality);


4) the main place of work or service, position (if there is no main place of work or service - occupation); if the candidate is a deputy on a temporary basis - information about this with the name of the relevant representative body;


5) If the candidate is nominated by a political party, - the word "nominated", indicating a title followed by the short name of the political party;


6) if the self-nominated candidate - the word "self-nomination";


7) If a registered candidate in accordance with part 6 of Article 41, paragraph 1 of Part 5 of Article 42 of the present Federal Law indicated membership in a political party, other public association, - the short name of the political party or this public association, and the status of the registered candidate in this political party or public association.


8. An empty square shall be placed to the right of information about each registered candidate or under this information.


9. If a registered candidate, whose surname, first name and patronymic are indicated on the ballot, had or has a criminal record, the ballot must contain information about the candidate's criminal record. These data are indicated on the basis of relevant documents submitted to the Central Election Commission, district election commission before approval of the ballot text.


10. Ballots shall be printed in the Russian language. By decision of an election commission of an Russian Federation, ballots shall also printed in the official language of the republic, which is part of the Russian Federation, and if necessary - also in the languages of peoples of the Russian Federation on the territories of their compact living. If ballots for a precinct are printed in two or more languages, the text in these languages shall be placed on each ballot. The text of ballots in this case shall be approved by the election commission of an Russian Federation no later than 22 days before the voting day.


11. The number of ballots for voting in the federal electoral district and in single-mandate electoral districts, including in the subjects the Russian Federation, shall be determined by decision of the Central Election Commission no later than 24 days before the voting day. The number of ballots shall not exceed the number of voters registered in the respective constituency by more than 1.5 per cent. The ballots shall be produced in two stages:


1) no later than 20 days before the voting day, to ensure early voting in the precincts established in inaccessible or remote areas - by decision of the election commission of a Russian Federation subject; for voting in precincts outside the territory of the Russian


2) no later than 10 days before the voting day, to ensure voting on the voting day - by decision of the election commission of a Russian Federation subject, in the number determined by decision of the Central Election Commission in accordance with the first paragraph of this Part, less the ballots previously produced to ensure early voting in the precincts established in inaccessible or remote areas.


12. Printed ballots shall be handed over by the printing organization to the members of an election commission, which procured the ballots, with a handover act. This act shall specify the date and time of its execution, as well as the number of handed ballots. After handing over packaged in packs ballots in the number corresponding to the contract, the printing company shall destroy surplus ballots (if any), and draw up an act to that effect. The election commission which procured the ballots is obliged no later than two days prior to the receipt of ballots from the respective printing company decide on the place and time of the handover of ballots to the members of this election commission, and the destruction of ballots. Any member of this election commission, a representative of a political party, a candidate registered in the relevant single-mandate electoral district, shall be entitled to sign the acts referred to in this Part.


13. Handover of ballots to territorial election commissions shall be carried out within the deadlines established by the Central Election Commission. Higher election commissions shall hand over to territorial election commissions, on the basis of their decision on the distribution of ballots to territorial election commissions, the entire print run of ballots received from the printing organizations.


14. Based on the decision of a territorial election commission on the distribution of ballots precinct election commissions shall receive ballots from the territorial election commission no later than one day before the voting day (early voting). At each precinct the number of ballots shall not exceed by more than 0.5 per cent (but no less than two ballots), the number of voters registered in this precinct, and be less than 70 per cent of the number of voters included in the voter list in the precinct on the day of handover of ballots. In the precinct where a significant number of voters with absentee vote certificates is expected, as well as a precinct where less than 500 voters are registered and ballot processing systems are used, the number of ballots may be increased by decision of the election commission of a Russian Federation subject, within the limits of the number of ballots determined by decision of the Central Election Commission for the respective constituency. When ballots are handed to precinct election commissions, they shall be counted and inspected one by one; rejected ballots (if identified) shall be destroyed by members of the territorial election commission, with an act drawn up to that effect.


15. An act on the handover ballots by the higher election commission to lower election commissions shall be drawn in two copies; one act on the handover of ballots for voting in the federal electoral district and one act on the handover of ballots for voting in the singlemandate electoral district. Each act shall specify the time and date of its making, the number of ballots handed over. The following have the right to be present at the handover of ballots by the higher election commission to the lower election commission: members of these election commissions, representatives of the political parties listed on the ballot, candidates whose surnames, first names and patronymics are included on the ballot for voting in the relevant single-mandate electoral districts, or representatives these candidates. The relevant election commission shall notify all members of this election commission, representatives of these political parties, candidates of the date, time and place of handover of ballots and provide the opportunity to attend the handover to at least one representative of each political party, each candidate or his representative. Each of these persons shall be entitled to sign the act drawn up at the handover of ballots.


16. Responsibility for the handover and security of ballots shall be borne by the chairmen of the election commissions which handover, receive and store ballots.


17. Precinct election commissions formed in electoral precincts outside the territory of the Russian Federation may receive ballots directly from the election commission that procured them, in the manner prescribed by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, and in the number determined by it.


18. In exceptional cases, in electoral precincts established in inaccessible or remote areas, on vessels that will be at sea on voting day, at polar stations, as well as in electoral precincts formed outside the territory of the Russian Federation, where technical means are available, it shall be permitted to produce the documents related to the preparation and conduct of elections of deputies of the State Duma, including ballots, by the precinct election commission itself. The decision on the production of these documents, specifying the necessary print run and the deadline for the production of ballots shall be made by the precinct election commission with the consent of the corresponding territorial election commission or the Central Election Commission.


19. On the front side of all ballots received by the precinct election commission, in the upper right corner, two members of the precinct election commission who have a decisive vote shall place their signatures and certify them with the seal of the precinct election commission. If ballots are made in the form of a brochure, the seal and signatures shall be placed in the upper right corner of the first page of the brochure. Uncertified ballots shall be declared as ballots of non-conforming form and shall not be counted during vote count.


20. In case of withdrawal of particular registered candidates whose surname, first name and patronymic are listed on the ballot, cancellation or annulment of registration of a federal list of candidates after the production of ballots, territorial and precinct election commissions on instructions of the Central Election Commission, the corresponding district election commission shall cross out information about such candidates, political parties which nominated these federal lists of candidates from the ballot. Where it shall be necessary to make changes in produced ballots with respect to information about a political party, candidate, such changes by decision of the Central Election Commission, the respective district election commission may be made by members of the territorial or precinct election commission by hand or using technical means.


21. In case of registration of a federal list of candidates, a candidate less than 10 days before voting day, the Central Election Commission, the relevant district election commission may take a decision on entering into produced ballots the information provided for in this Article on the political party that nominated the federal list of candidates, regional groups of candidates, registered candidates, by hand or using technical means.


22. On the voting day, after the end of voting time, unused ballots in the territorial election commission shall be counted and cancelled, and the territorial election commission shall draw up an act to that effect. This cancellation may be attended by the persons mentioned in Part 5 of Article 32 of the present Federal Law. The ballots shall be kept by the secretary of the election commission under seal, together with other documents of the election commission.