1. In order to participate in an election, a referendum, a voter, referendum participant shall be issued a ballot.

(Section 1 in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

2. Ballots shall be produced on the instruction of the relevant commission. Numbering of ballots shall not be allowed. The quantity of produced ballots shall not exceed the number of registered voters, referendum participants by more than 1.5 percent.

(in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

21. In order to help the voters, referendum participants being visually disabled persons, upon decision of the respective commission, special stencils shall be made in order to fill in the ballots on their own, including by means of Braille type. The electoral districts and referendum precincts for which such stencils are made, shall be determined by decision of the commission organizing the elections, the referendum, and by decision of the electoral commission of Russian Federation subject in case of elections to the federal bodies of state power.

(Section 21 introduced by Federal Law of June 14, 2011, # 143-FZ)

3. At elections to federal bodies of state power, the state bodies of a Russian Federation subject shall, in order to protect the ballots from forgery at production thereof, use watermarked paper and/or paper with inscriptions printed thereon by typographic method in micro-type and/or with security thread and/or other special protective elements, or special signs (stamps) for such purposes. The procedure of manufacturing and use of special signs (stamps), their quantity, as well as the requirements made to the transmission of special signs (stamps) by the higher commissions to the lower commissions, shall be approved by the commission organizing the election no later than 60 days prior to the voting day.

(Section 3 in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

31. At elections to local self-governing bodies (save as for elections to the representative authority of municipalities held in electoral districts with numbers of voters therein not exceeding five thousand), watermarked paper and/or paper with color background or inscriptions printed thereon by typographic method in micro-type and/or with security thread shall be used in the production of ballots.

(Section 31 introduced by Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

4. The form and the text of the ballot, the quantity of ballots, and the procedure for supervision over their production shall be approved by the relevant commissions not later than 20 days prior to the voting day. The text shall be printed only on one side of the ballot. In the event of a repeat voting, the text of the ballot, the quantity of ballots shall be approved by the relevant commission at the time it takes the decision to hold the repeat voting.

(in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

5. For voting on candidates, surnames of registered candidates shall be arranged in the ballot in the alphabetical order, and the ballot shall contain the following information about each registered candidate:

a) surname, first name, patronymic;

b) year of birth;

c) name of a Russian Federation subject, district, city, other settlement where the candidate resides;

(Sub-section “c” in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

d) main place of work or service, official position (occupation, if there is no main place of work or service);

e) if a candidate is a deputy and exercises his powers on a non-permanent basis, this fact and the name of the representative body;

f) if a candidate was nominated by an electoral association, the words "Nominated by electoral association" and the abbreviated name of the electoral association;

(Sub-section “f” in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

g) if a candidate is a self-nominated candidate, the words “Independent candidate”;

(Sub-section “g” in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

h) became invalid. - Federal Law of February 09, 2009, # 3-FZ Paragraphs ten-eleven became invalid. - Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ.

51. If a registered candidate nominated directly as per section 2 of article 33 of this Federal Law, has indicated in their application on consent to nomination their appurtenance to a political party, other social association, the ballot shall contain the brief name of the respective political party, other social association, and the status of the registered candidate in such political party or other social association.

(Section 51 introduced by Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ, in the version of Federal Law of July 12, 2006, # 107-FZ)

52. If a registered candidate nominated by an electoral association for a single-mandate/ multi-mandate electoral district, is also included in the registered candidate list, such information shall be indicated in the ballot.

(Section 52 introduced by Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

6. For voting on lists of candidates, the ballot shall contain abbreviated names of electoral associations arranged in an order determined as a result of lot-drawing, and also surnames, first names, patronymics of at least first three candidates from the list and/or its respective regional part, and black-and-white emblems of electoral association.

(in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

7. If a registered candidate indicated in the ballot has a conviction that has not been cancelled and annulled, the ballot shall contain information about the candidate's convictions.

(in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ, of July 27, 2006, # 128-FZ)

8. A blank box shall be placed to the right of the data of each registered candidate indicated under Sections 5, 51, 52 and 6 of this article, to the right of the name of each electoral association.

(Section 8 in the version of Federal Law of July 12, 2006, # 107-FZ)

81. If, as per section 35 of article 38 of this Federal Law, the voting is held for one candidature, below the information about the registered candidate as provided for by Sections 5, 51, 52 and 6 of this article, the options of the expression of voters’ will shall be indicated by words “Pro” and “Contra”, with blank boxes placed to the right of the said words.

(Section 81 introduced by Federal Law of July 12, 2006, # 107-FZ)

9. For voting at a referendum, the ballot shall contain the text of the question submitted to the referendum and indicate the options for expression of the voter’s will with the words “Yes” or “No” or “Pro” and “Contra”, on the right of which blank boxes are placed. If a draft law is submitted to a referendum, the ballot shall either reproduce its text or contain the name of such draft law.

(Section 9 in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

10. Ballots shall be printed in the Russian language. Subject to a decision of the commission specified by law, ballots shall be printed in the Russian language and in the official language of the given republic within the Russian Federation and, in the necessary cases, in the languages of the peoples of the Russian Federation in the territories where they are concentrated. If ballots for an electoral precinct are printed in two or more languages, the Russian text shall be printed on each ballot.

11. The ballots produced by a printing organization shall be transmitted to voting commission members placing the order for ballots production under certificate containing the date and time of compilation thereof, as well as the number of ballots transmitted. After the ballots packed in bundles are handed over in the quantity corresponding to the order, the personnel of the print shop shall destroy rejected and surplus ballots (if any) and shall draw up a certificate to this effect. The commission that placed the order for the ballots shall be obliged, no later than two days prior to receiving the ballots from the respective printing organization, decide on the time when and the place where ballots are to be handed over to the appropriate commission or destroyed. Any member of any commission, any candidate whose name is entered in the ballot (except of the candidates whose names are indicated in the candidate list) or the representative of such candidate, electoral association, referendum initiative group, another referendum participant group may put his signature on the certificates mentioned in this Section.

(Section 11 in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

12. After receiving ballots from the print shop, the commission placing the order for ballots production shall deliver the ballots, of the basis of an acceptance certificate, to directly lower commissions within the terms as established by the commission organizing the election, referendum, based on its decision to distribute ballots. The directly lower commissions transmit ballots in the same manner to lower commission including district commissions. The submission of ballots by a higher commission to a lower commission shall be stipulated in a certificate made in two counterparts containing the date and time of compilation thereof, as well as the number of the ballots subject to delivery.

(Section 12 in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

13. The ballots shall be delivered to the district commissions no later than one day before the voting day (including early voting). The quantity of ballots for each electoral district, referendum precinct shall not exceed by more than 0.5 percent (but no less than by two ballots) or be less than 70 percent of the number of voters, referendum participants that have been included in the list of voters, referendum participants in the electoral precinct, referendum precinct as of the day of the ballot delivery. At delivery of ballots to the district commissions, the ballots shall be counted and selected manually, thereat, the rejected ballots (if any) shall be destroyed by the members of the commission in charge of the ballots delivery, and a certificate shall be made to that effect.

(Section 13 in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

14. As ballots are delivered by a higher commission to a lower commission, the members of such commissions, the candidates stipulated in Section 11 of this Article, or their representatives, as well as representatives of electoral associations stipulated in Section 11 of this Article, referendum initiative group, other referendum participant groups shall be entitled at the selection and destruction thereof. The notification of the aforesaid persons about the place and time of ballot delivery shall be ensured by the respective commission, which shall also be obliged to allow to each candidate stipulated in Section 11 of this Article or to no less than one of their representative, no less than one representative of each electoral association stipulated in section 11 of this article, no less than one representative of referendum initiative group, other referendum participant group, to be present at the ballot delivery, with any of the aforesaid persons being entitled to sign the certificates made at ballot delivery as well as at ballot selection and destruction (if any).

(Section 14 in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

15. The chairmen of the commissions that deliver, accept, and keep the ballots shall bear responsibility for correct delivery of ballots.

(Section 15 in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

16. Signatures of two voting members of the precinct election commission certified by the commission's seal shall be put in the upper right corner on the face of all ballots received by the precinct election commission.

17. If a registered candidate, list of candidates withdraw after ballots have been produced, territorial, district, and precinct election commissions shall, on the instruction of the commission which registered this candidate, list of candidates, cross out the data of this candidate, list of candidates on ballots. In case of necessity to alter the produced ballot in respect of information about the candidate or electoral association, such alteration may be, upon decision of the which registered this candidate, list of candidates, entered by the members of territorial, district, or section commission manually or by using technical equipment.

(Section 17 in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

18. If in accordance with the law a decision is taken to register candidates, federal list of candidates to transfer a place on the list to the next registered candidate in replacement of a candidate who withdrew after the ballots had been produced less than ten days before voting day, the commission that registered a candidate, list of candidates shall be entitled to make a decision to put the data of the said registered candidate, list of candidates into the printed ballots by hand or by using technical equipment.

(in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

19. In exceptional cases, in electoral precincts, referendum precincts formed in remote and hard-to-reach areas, on ships at sea on voting day, at polar stations, outside the territory of the Russian Federation electoral documents, including ballots, may be produced by a precinct commission itself. A decision to produce electoral documents, indicating the required number of ballots and the deadline for their production, shall be taken by this precinct commission with the concurrence of the higher commission. 20. On voting day, after the voting time ends, commissions shall count and cancel unused ballots. In precinct commissions, this procedure is carried out in accordance with Section 3, Article 68 of this Federal Law. In other commissions, statements of ballot cancellation specifying the number of cancelled ballots shall be drawn up. Persons indicated in Section 3, Article 30 of this Federal Law may be present when ballots are being cancelled. Cancelled ballots shall be kept with the other documentation of the commission to the secretary of the commission. 21. In case of holding election, referendum by means of electronic voting complex, an electronic ballot shall be used. The form and text of the electronic ballot shall be approved by the respective commission no later than 20 days prior to voting day and must comply with the requirements stipulated by Sections 5-10 of this Article. In case of repeat voting the electronic ballot text shall be approved by the respective commission at the same time with the decision on the repeated voting.

(Section 21 introduced by Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)