Hyde for voters and observers

The Russians still have the right to election of the president. We tell which

Despite the fact that the political field is now almost completely cleaned, censorship operates in the country and for almost any expression of views, except for the approval of the authorities, there is a risk of repressions, citizens still have the opportunity to vote - and thus if you do not change power, at least express their opinion. "Cold" tells what rights the voters have and how observers can protect their votes in the future elections of the President of the Russian Federation.

In order not to miss the main materials of the "cold", subscribe to our Instagram and telegram .

The latest presidential elections took place six years ago - March 18, 2018. Since then, much has changed: in 2019, remote electronic voting (DEG) appeared, the opportunity to become an observer after him, and in 2020 - amendments to the Constitution, allowing Vladimir Putin to be elected to the presidency of at least twice.

Voter

Each adult citizen of the Russian Federation has a constitutional right to elect a candidate for elections, so it is worthwhile to use it, at least in order to express their civic position and demonstrate political and social activity. What other rights do you have?

• The right to file a complaint against the actions of members of the election commission. If you were refused to issue a ballot at the voting site or you noticed falsification, you can write a complaint to this precinct election commission (PEC) or to a higher authority - the territorial election commission (TIK), or apply to the court in which the polling station is located.
• 10 days before the start of voting, you have the right to verify yourself in the list of voters, declare inaccuracy or error. Remotely this can be done on the website of the CEC of the Russian Federation . And to find out the number of your polling station - in the section "Information on election commissions and referendum commissions." The polling station depends on your registration at the place of residence.
• The right to choose how to vote - this can be done not only at the polling station at the place of registration.

If you are far from the place of registration (in another city or abroad), submit an application for voting at the polling station where you are, no later than three days before the first day of voting, that is, until March 11, inclusive. It is most convenient to do this remotely through the “State Services” portal.

If you are ill or for other respectful reasons (for example, disability or the need to care for the patient) you will not be able to come to the site, you can apply to your PEC so that you are given the opportunity to vote at home. This can be done on the “ State Services ” portal from March 5 to 11, either by phone or personally in your PEC - from March 7 to March 17, 2024 until 14:00 local time. If you are allowed to vote at home, members of the election commission will come to you with a portable voting box and ballots.

In 29 regions of Russia, there will be an opportunity to vote remotely. Submit an application for voting through DEG (remote electronic voting) no later than three days before the elections can everyone except those who have registration in Moscow - for them DEG is carried out through the portal mos.ru.

However, it is worth remembering that although this method of voting seems very convenient for the voter, according to experts, DEG is more subject to falsification than the usual vote.

• If you made a mistake in the ballot, you have the right to get a new ballot instead of the spoiled. However, a PEC member must record the replacement of the ballot in the voter list.

Observer

In addition to the right to elect an adult citizen, has the right to observe the conduct of the elections, the work of the election commission, to participate in the summarized voting results and determine the results of the elections. But how to become an observer?

Where to contact you to be appointed an observer?

That's who has the right to appoint observers:

• political parties that registered their candidates in the elections;
• A candidate registered in the elections (self -nominated).

Also, full -time employees of the media registered in Roskomnadzor have the right to attend the pre -election site during the elections and counting of votes.

Contact the headquarters of the party or candidate and say that you want to become an observer. It is also better to say right away that you are ready to observe for free, otherwise they may be refused by deciding that you just want to earn money.

The procedure for the appointment of observers:

1. The party from which the candidate is nominated, or the headquarters of the self -nominated person fills the “direction” to the observer: a standard document, which says that this person has the right to observe in a certain area during the vote.

2. This person is included in the list of observers, which is sent to the territorial election commission (TIK). The list is sent no later than three days before the start of voting.

3. The observer must bring a referral to his PEC on the voting day with the passport.

This time, DEG will be used for the first time in the presidential election. There are full -time observers - they are in Moscow in the Tick DEG room, but there may be no more than 3 from each candidate, at the rate of one day - one observer.

Even for DEG you can watch remotely, sitting at the computer at home. True, there is a little sense in this: access to the node (transfer of transactions) DEG blockchain (the processing unit) have only full -time observers, and only they have the right to view voter lists. According to experts, data available to absentee observers do not allow you to check the integrity of the blockchain.

The proxies of the candidates send invitations to absentee observers through the DEG observation portal , but in order to get an invitation, you first need to contact one of the candidate or party proxies yourself.

The appointment of observers for DEG takes place from March 4 to 11.

The rights of observers

By law, the observer has the right:

1. To meet the lists of voters (both paper and electronic), with a list of voters who vote not at the place of registration, with a register of appeals about voting outside the site.

1. To be on the polling station from the moment when the PEC begins the work, during the voting days of March 15-17, as well as on the days of early voting, from February 25 to March 14, and until the moment when the higher election commission will accept the protocol on the voting results. At the same time, the law does not prohibit the observer to come to his polling station a day before the vote and get acquainted with the members of the commission and see the voter lists.

2. Watch how ballots are given to voters.

3. To be present when voters vote outside the site (for example, at home).

4. Observe the counting of voters entered in the lists, the ballots issued by him, and repaid ballots. Observing the votes of votes on the site from a distance, but at the same time, the observer should be clearly visible the marks that voters made in ballots. Watch any ballots when counting votes. To observe the preparation of the protocol on the results of voting and other documents on the day of voting and on the days of early voting until the moment when the higher election commission will accept the protocol on the results of the vote, as well as when votes are considered again.

5. Contact the proposals and comments on voting to the chairman of the election commission or his deputy.

6. To get acquainted with the protocol of the election commission on the voting results and election results, as well as with the documents attached to them. Receive certified copies of these protocols from the election commission. (Certified copies of the protocols may be useful in court if the voting results on the site will need to be appealed: for example, if you have witnessed the stuffing and other falsifications or if the number of ballots omitted to the urn that you considered is written in the commission’s protocol).

7. To appeal the decisions and actions (or inaction) of the election commission, in which it is sent, in a higher election commission or in court.

8. To be present with a repeated counting of votes in the election commission where it is sent.

9. Shoot photos and videos (from the place determined by the chairman of the precinct election commission). However, keep in mind that this must first be notified by the chairman, deputy chairman or secretary of the precinct election commission. (This right can be useful for fixing violations.)

Training of observers

No one checks the knowledge of observers before allowing them before observing the voting in the elections. Therefore, to learn this or not, it depends only on your desire to understand the electoral process and law.

You can study for observer in person (if public observers are trained in your region, this is sometimes organized by public chambers of the regions) and remotely.

It is possible to study on materials on the website of the Voice movement (just do not mention it at the polling station: “Voice” is recognized as a “foreign agent”) or go through a workshop for members of election commissions on the website of the Russian Center for Learning Electoral Technologies for the CEC, and on the CEC website you can find reference materials on how work is working at the polling station.

***

According to the rules in one polling station, there may be up to three observers from the candidate per day, but in practice they may not be at all. However, often it depends on the observer whether there will be falsification (stuffing, carousel, bribery of voters and the like).

There are very few independent observers, although every adult citizen is entitled to become them. There are not enough observers for DEG, while applications for participation in DEG from voters have already been submitted more than two million.

Contact the headquarters of the candidates to become an observer for paper vote or an absentee observer for DEG.