1. Voters and referendum participants shall be informed by bodies of state power, bodies of local selfgovernment, election commissions, mass media organizations, legal entities and individuals in accordance with this Federal Law. Bodies of state power, bodies of local self-government shall not be entitled to inform voters about candidates or electoral associations.
(in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)
2. The informational materials published in the mass media or otherwise disseminated shall be objective and accurate and shall not violate the equality of candidates, electoral associations.
(in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)
3. The informing of voters, referendum participants, including through the mass media, about the preparation and conduct of elections, referendums, the terms and procedures for the performance of electoral actions, actions relating to participation in a referendum, about electoral and referendum laws of the Russian Federation, about candidates, electoral associations, shall be carried out by commissions. The commissions shall also take necessary measures in order to inform the voters and referendum participants who are disabled individuals.
(in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ, of June 14, 2011, # 143-FZ)
4. Mass media organizations shall be free in their activity aimed at informing voters, referendum participants.
5. In television and radio programs and in the publications appearing in the printed media, reports concerning election events, events related to a referendum shall be presented in exclusivity in the form of separate news items, without any comments. Such news items shall not give preference to any candidate, electoral association, referendum initiative group, another group of referendum participants, including with regard to the time dedicated to cover their election activities, and the amount of space allocated in the printed media for such reports.
(in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)
6. Journalists, other creative workers and officials of a mass media organization who have been engaged in an activity related to informational support of an election, a referendum in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation governing elections and referendums shall not be dismissed from their offices at the initiative of the administration (employer) and shall not be transferred to other offices without their consent in the period of the relevant election campaign, referendum campaign, and during one year thereafter, save the case where a disciplinary action was taken against them in accordance with the labor legislation where this action has not been appealed in court or has been declared lawful and appropriate by a court.
7. On voting day, before the end of the voting in an electoral district, referendum district, no information shall be published (disclosed) about the results of the election, referendum, including the publication of such data in informational telecommunication networks with unrestricted access save as to a certain circle of persons (including the Internet).
(in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)
