Based on the main rules for holding elections to the lower house of the Federal Assembly, approved in February 2014 by the Federal Law, deputies to the appropriate body are elected by citizens of the Russian Federation due to the right to universal, equal, secret ballot. Parliamentary elections in Russia are not mandatory for participation, a citizen can independently decide on the need for them to elect candidates.
Principles of the electoral system of the Russian Federation
- Parliamentary elections in Russia involve the election of 450 deputies.
- Half of the above number of deputies are elected in single-member constituencies, from the principle of 1 constituency, 1 deputy.
- The second part is selected by the federal constituency from the principle of the number of persons is proportional to the number of votes.
- A citizen of the Russian Federation who has reached the age of eighteen at the time of the election shall cast a vote on the candidate.
- A citizen of Russia has the right to choose a candidate for deputy in single-mandate constituencies if he is registered in the relevant constituency for more than 3 months at the time of voting.
- A citizen of Russia with the right to vote can participate in the nomination of candidates to the appropriate body, draw up lists of candidates, take part in lawful campaigning, observe the election process and establish the results of voting.
- The right to be elected to the lower house of the Federal Assembly has a citizen of Russia who has reached twenty-one years.
Restrictions Preventing Nomination of a Candidate for Deputies
- Outstanding conviction for a crime committed in a grave or especially grave form.
- Redeemed or withdrawn criminal record for a crime committed in serious form, if the criminal record was withdrawn less than 10 years ago. With a particularly severe form, the period increases to 15 years.
- With the exception of the preceding paragraphs, a criminal record for extremist activities.
- The candidate has deposits, valuables and funds in foreign banks located outside the Russian Federation.
A candidate may be nominated only if the time periods indicated in clause 2 expire before the voting day. Accordingly, if the crimes were committed in a different form than the one specified above, the right to be elected is returned to the citizen immediately after the conviction has been paid off.
Stages of the Electoral Process
- Establishment of voting day.
- Compilation of voter lists.
- Nomination of candidates to the appropriate authority and their registration.
- Campaign and campaigning.
- Actually the voting process.
- Counting and publication of voting results.
Appointment of elections
Parliamentary elections in Russia are a mandatory part of the electoral process. Elections are appointed by the incumbent president of the state within one hundred ten to ninety days before the start of voting. Sunday must be the day of voting, at this moment the term of the previous convocation of deputies ends.
The decision of the president to schedule a vote should be announced by an official source within five days. In the event that the incumbent president does not approve the holding of elections within the established time frame, this authority passes to the CEC. The Commission will schedule the election on the first Sunday of the month when the convocation expires. The CEC decision is also subject to publication, but no later than 7 days after the concept of the decision.
Elections may be called next Sunday if Saturday has been declared an official public holiday or Sunday is officially declared in the established manner as a universal working day.
Compilation of voter lists. Nomination of candidates and their registration
Each political party participating in the process must be nominated with a federal list consisting of 2 parts: federal and regional (1 part may be absent). The federal list is divided into regional groups of candidates. This is created in order to be able to vote for the candidates themselves. Moreover, if a party receives seats in the Duma, the candidates are the first to become deputies, for whom they cast a greater number of votes.
The federal list is compiled by collecting voter signatures. The party submits a list of the CEC and within 10 days the commission commits itself to voice the decision on registration. If the CEC registers the list, each candidate on the list receives the status of a registered candidate and acquires the right to campaign.
Formation of constituencies and precincts
For the election process in the territory of the Russian Federation 225 single-mandate constituencies are created. The formation of the district and its border is determined based on the number of registered voters. Single-member districts are re-created before each election due to the active displacement of the country's population.
Polling stations are set up so that they have no more than 3, 000 voters. The voters lists compiled by the precinct include people registered in the guided territory of the precinct.
Election campaigning
The 2016 parliamentary elections in Russia proclaimed new campaign rules in accordance with the appeal of the incumbent.
Now the image of public figures on any campaign materials is prohibited. Because it contradicts world practice. Materials of a similar nature cannot be placed 50 meters from the polling station and on cultural facilities, historical monuments and architectural monuments.
Candidates are now required to participate in television debates.
Voting
Parliamentary elections in Russia involve voting from 8 am to 8 pm on the appointed day. The time can be rescheduled for a maximum of 2 hours in specified cases. The parliamentary elections in Russia 2016 were not postponed in any polling station.
