- What to do if the authorities force you to take absentee ballots. What should I do?

This is a violation of the law. Receiving an absentee ballot, like voting on it, is a voter's right. Any attempt to coerce a voter into obtaining an absentee ballot is a misdemeanor. In case of coercion, you have the right to file a statement with the prosecutor’s office, as well as inform the appropriate representative of the employer about the illegality of such demands.

- Does it have my guide the right to ask who I voted for? Where do I go if I suspect I may be fired for voting incorrectly?

Voting in all elections in Russia is secret. This means that no one has the right to demand that you disclose information about who you voted for. Labor legislation, in turn, establishes an exhaustive list of grounds for dismissal and regulates its procedure. If your employer fires you for voting incorrectly or makes similar attempts, you have the right to contact Federal service labor and employment or the prosecutor's office, and if the decision to dismiss has already been made, you also have the right to challenge it in court. In addition, keep in mind that no one not only has the right, but also has no actual opportunity to check your answer to the question of who you voted for.

- Are it legal to ask to vote at a polling station not at your place of residence, but at your place of study? Where to vote if this is how the question is raised?

In most regions Russian Federation the possibility of voting at the place of temporary residence of students living in dormitories and having temporary registration there is provided. In addition, you have the right to receive an absentee ballot and vote at the polling station at your place of study. Such “requests” are legal if they are an explanation of your rights and, of course, illegal if they are in the nature of “persistent recommendations” or coercion.

-On parent meeting at school, the director agitated to vote for current head village. Are such actions legal?

The actions of the school director in this case are illegal. Federal law prohibits the conduct of election campaigning by persons who are members of the management bodies of organizations, regardless of their form of ownership, in the performance of their official or official duties. Since participation in a parent meeting is one of the forms of the school director, who is the sole executive body of the organization, fulfilling his official or official duties, campaigning at a parent meeting is not allowed.

- The chairman of the commission (chief, dean) said that he knows how and who voted in the last elections, and that he will control how and who will vote now, and if it doesn’t go his way, he threatens with dismissal (trouble, persecution). Can he know how I vote? Voting is anonymous. The ballots are all the same and do not have marks about who votes on them. All stories about what someone knows, how and who voted have no basis in reality, unless of course you told anyone about it yourself. Viewing and verifying from 150 to 1500 ballots is even physically difficult and no one will simply do it. You are most likely simply being intimidated in the hope that, just in case, you will vote the right way for your not very decent leader.

- My boss, under threat of dismissal, demanded that all employees after the vote show him their photographs. mobile phone ballot papers marked for a specific party. What to do?

It is best to immediately write a statement about initiating a criminal case against the head. If you are afraid, you can act in two ways:

a) prepare a ballot on the computer, fill it out as the boss asks, take a photo and calmly go to vote at the polling station in accordance with your beliefs;

b) bring a blue thread to the site, put it as a mark in the column required by the employer, and take a photo. Then remove the thread, vote as your beliefs tell you.

- My employer asks me to take a photo of the ballot, bring a calendar or a marked pen from the polling station. What to do? Where can I complain without getting fired?

Such a requirement is an obvious violation of the principle of secret voting - one of the basic principles of holding elections. The actions of the employer’s representative who puts forward such demands contain elements of a crime. In this regard, you have every reason to refuse to fulfill such a requirement, and also contact the prosecutor’s office or investigative committee with a statement to bring the perpetrator to justice.

- The employer, under threat of dismissal, forces us to take an absentee ballot and vote on the territory of the enterprise. Is this legal? What to do?

Any coercion of voters to participate or not to participate in elections, or to obtain and use or not use absentee ballots, is a violation of the law. Provide details to the Civil Control Association - the information will be sent to law enforcement agencies to bring those responsible to justice.

- Housing and communal services employees in our city are required to go to work and take absentee ballots to vote at their place of work. We are forced to vote in a certain way? Is this legal?

If you vote the way you want (regardless of where it will be - at your place of residence or using an absentee ballot in another place), it will be impossible to throw anything in for you. And forcing people to get an absentee ballot is illegal. If possible, provide information from whom such demands are coming for transmission to law enforcement agencies.

Forcing elections is illegal

They want to introduce criminal liability for forcing Russians to vote. A group of State Duma deputies from the LDPR faction introduced a bill aimed at protecting voters from being forced to participate in elections (or, accordingly, refuse to vote) and vote for specific candidates. It is proposed to further limit the possibilities for such arbitrariness of superiors in relation to subordinates and establish criminal liability for this.

By the way, a number of countries (USA, Sweden, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Estonia and even Ukraine and China) have introduced provisions into their criminal legislation that specify the crime of coercion to vote in elections; in most of these countries, the violator faces imprisonment for up to two years or a large fine. The authors of the project propose to supplement the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation with a new article 141.2 - “Violation of the freedom of expression of citizens during elections or referendums.” According to it, for forcing a citizen of the Russian Federation to vote (refuse to do so), the perpetrator will be fined 200 thousand rubles or disqualified for a period of 2 to 5 years, or punished with compulsory labor for up to 180 hours (correctional labor for up to 1 year).

If such a crime is committed against two or more persons, as well as by prior conspiracy or organized group, the perpetrators will be fined 500 thousand rubles, sentenced to compulsory labor for up to 240 hours (correctional labor for up to 2 years), or arrested for up to six months. Otherwise they will simply be sent to prison for a term of 2 to 5 years.

The chances of this bill being adopted are minimal, since it is not supported by the Russian government. According to officials, because its rules are imprecise, unclear and vague, and this may “give rise to the possibility of ambiguous interpretation and arbitrary application.” And most importantly, according to the Cabinet of Ministers, the authors of the project did not provide arguments “about the insufficiency of the established measures of responsibility for these acts, as well as convincing legal arguments for the need for their special criminalization.”

Internet interview
member of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation
Dubrovina Elena Pavlovna

February 14, 2008 at 12 o'clock an online interview was held with a member of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation Dubrovina Elena Pavlovna.

Internet interview topic: "Legal aspect of forced voting".

The online interview was organized by the Garant company. The company "Garant" is registered as an Information Agency (certificate: ИА N 77-14642). When distributing messages and materials of the News Agency by other means mass media a reference to the Information Agency is required (Article 23 of the Law “On the Mass Media”).
The journal "Legislation" takes part in the preparation of the transcript.
The host of the online interview is Natalia Ivanovna Karpunina (Garant Company).

Good afternoon, dear ladies and gentlemen! Hello, dear Internet audience!
We begin our online interview. Let me introduce our guest today, Elena Pavlovna Dubrovina, a member of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.

The election procedure has special features that are determined, on the one hand, by political, economic and social characteristics, on the other hand, by regulatory regulation. Based on this, studying legal framework procedures for electing elected bodies and officials solves a number of pressing problems for our time.

The state actively initiates changes to electoral legislation both at the level of the Russian Federation and at the level of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. To the basic principles of electoral law in modern conditions can be attributed to: universality, equal nature of elections, direct and indirect elections, secret ballot. In Russia, these principles are legislatively ensured by the Constitution of 1993 and the Federal Laws “On Basic Guarantees voting rights citizens", "On the election of the President of the Russian Federation", electoral laws adopted in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, as well as a number of articles in the Criminal Code, the Code administrative offenses and some other laws.

By the time our interview began, several dozen different, interesting and problematic issues, which we want to offer to our distinguished guest today.

Presenter: IN lately In the media, you can increasingly hear information that the so-called forced voting technology is gaining momentum in Russia. Please tell us what kind of technology this is and what is its essence?

Dubrovina E. P.: I wouldn't say that this technology is gaining momentum or any actions or measures are being taken to introduce compulsory voting in our country, since the current legislation does not provide for this, but, on the contrary, everywhere - both in the Constitution and the Federal Law "On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights" - it is said about free elections. Conversely, there is a prohibition on coercion to vote.

Presenter: Please tell me what caused the discussion about the need to introduce the institution of compulsory voting and who was the main initiator of the introduction of this compulsory voting?

Dubrovina E. P.: As I have already said, I, as a member of the Central Election Commission, do not feel there is any process to introduce compulsory voting, and they started talking about it when it was decided to remove the norm providing for a turnout threshold from the legislation. If you remember, the law provided for the need for more than 50% voter turnout for the elections to take place in the gubernatorial elections (when regional heads were elected). And a 25% voter turnout was necessary for the elections of deputies to take place. State Duma etc. Now the law does not provide for a minimum turnout, so how many voters come, how many vote, the election results will be determined from this number. After the abolition of the voter turnout threshold in 2004, there were cases when local government bodies, in particular, deputies municipalities small settlements, were elected with a turnout of up to 10 people at polling stations. Of course, such cases had a resonance, they were discussed and people talked about the dubious legitimacy of such elected officials. Actually, the family came and voted for their member of the household - and now he is already a deputy. I believe that these cases are isolated, but very significant, and they are even necessary for people to see and understand that their trip to the polling station is not just entertainment, but a necessity. Because whoever is chosen will manage - including their affairs: make decisions, participate in decisions that affect their lives. I think that such cases will play a positive role in making people consciously go to vote in the next elections.

Presenter: Do you think that the introduction of this institution clearly contradicts the provisions of paragraph 3 of Art. 3 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, namely that “the highest direct expression of the power of the people is a referendum and free elections”, as well as part 3 of Article 29 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation - “No one can be forced to express their opinions and beliefs or to renounce them”?

Dubrovina E. P.: I want to say once again that, of course, this contradicts both the spirit and letter of the Constitution... Our 32nd article of the Constitution of the Russian Federation says: “Citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to elect and be elected to bodies state power, to local government bodies, as well as to participate in a referendum." The Constitution of the Russian Federation declares a right, not an obligation. The Federal Law “On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights,” which I have already mentioned, says the same thing. For example, Article 3, which contains the principles holding elections and referendums in the Russian Federation, establishes that the participation of a citizen of the Russian Federation in elections and referendums is free and voluntary. No one has the right to influence a citizen of the Russian Federation in order to force him to participate, or not to participate in elections or a referendum, or. prevent his free expression. That is, the law directly prohibits influencing a voter in order to force him to go to the polling station or, conversely, force him to stay at home if he wants to go and express his will, and it is also prohibited to influence the will by force. take the voters' side - this is the task of the candidates, not government agencies authorities or superiors at work.
We had complaints that at enterprises managers force people to vote, threaten them with deprivation of bonuses or even loss of their jobs, housing queues, places in kindergarten etc. Students complained that they were being intimidated by the fact that their exams, tests, coursework, etc. would not be accepted, that they would be expelled, or that they would not be provided with a hostel. This is coercion. In my opinion, this is a very serious violation that must be combated, since it distorts the very idea of ​​elections. If a person is guided by fear for himself, for his loved ones, for his future - what kind of elections are these? This goes against the nature of democratic elections. I have been involved in elections for many years and I believe that this necessary tool for a democratic state, and effective, effective tool. But they need to be used correctly.

Presenter: In this case, what should citizens do if such imbalances occur?

Dubrovina E. P.: I believe that, first of all, people should, out of self-esteem, resist such pressure, declare that they are citizens of Russia, are under the protection of their own state and will not tolerate such violence against their person. You must have a certain civil courage, a civic position, self-respect and a sense of dignity. In any case, it is necessary to tell your leader that his demands are illegal, his pressure is illegal, that this is a personal matter for each citizen. And if the pressure continues, it is necessary to complain to the election commissions, because it is we - the system of election commissions - that were created in order to ensure the constitutional rights of citizens. Citizens have the right to file complaints about such actions by officials judiciary. At the very least, they state the fact of illegal influence on the voter. Moreover, I know that there were cases when commissions participated in the illegal counting of voters. The voter who voted was given something like thank you letter, or some kind of postcard, which he had to bring back and give at the request of the leader, thereby confirming the fact of his vote. This is unacceptable. This needs to be stopped.

Presenter: We have several questions about this, in particular from students who needed to get an absentee ballot, go to specially designated polling stations at the university and vote there. Moreover, they gave a certain piece of paper, it had to be taken to the dean’s office. If such paper was not brought, then they would have big problems both with the session and with the tests.

Dubrovina E. P.: You see, the use of force is always easier than painstaking work, in this case, convincing students of the need to go vote. Such work must be carried out systematically. And most importantly, in my opinion, and I always say this, authorities, local governments need to take all actions to ensure that all citizens living in the relevant territory experience the positive results of the work of these bodies during the period of their powers, and then the population will be ready to support them, including in elections. People will understand that if I don’t vote for this one now, then someone else will come and it will be worse for me. It's corny, but it's the most important point. When we travel around the regions and talk with people, it is obvious that the authorities are assessed by the condition of the roads (roads are of concern to many people, townspeople and residents rural areas), how regularly they pay wages, what is the size of pensions, what are the prices of goods, what is the range of goods in their stores, etc. And they say that this is true, but that it was worse or, conversely, better. Here is the main assessment. This is the measure of when people want to go vote or not.

Presenter: But at the same time, we received another question, which has a slightly different point of view. In some countries, attendance at elections is compulsory. For ignoring them, the state provides fines, the sizes of which increase each time. Sometimes this results in large sums. If a person does not vote several times, he is removed from the voter list. In some places the measures are less stringent - in some document a note is simply made about participation in voting. The turnout is, of course, higher than ours. Maybe we can borrow this experience, what do you think?

Dubrovina E. P.: I believe that nothing should be changed too dramatically. We had a fairly long period from the 90s until 2004, when there was a line “against everyone”. There was a system of minimum turnout barriers: if fewer voters came, the elections were considered invalid. They have now been cancelled. In my opinion, we need to work in this mode, spend at least 2 electoral cycles (this is about ten years) and see what is good and what is bad. I believe that it is more natural now to introduce an application procedure for registering voters. Anyone who wants to vote declares it and is taken into account. And from here it is calculated what percentage of voters chose one candidate or another. I am categorically against fines, since part of the population now has a fairly low material level, and it is simply impossible to punish them for not coming to the polling station when they have no roads, and sometimes there is simply nothing to wear.

Presenter: Tell me, please, if we develop such an idea, which state’s institution of compulsory voting could serve as an example for the possible introduction of something similar on the territory of the Russian Federation?

Dubrovina E. P.: I think it would be possible to use some of the legislation of Austria, Belgium, Mexico, Switzerland and some other countries.

Presenter: Please tell me, if not the forced voting system itself, then perhaps some of its elements are introduced, what legal acts will regulate this process. And, in general, are there any plans to make any changes to the existing legislation, or perhaps there is a point in adopting any new regulations that will separately regulate this topic?

Dubrovina E. P.: Separate acts are certainly not required, that's for sure. It is necessary to work with current legislation. As for the compulsory participation in voting, this requires an amendment to the Constitution, which declares a right, not an obligation. If there is an obligation to serve in the army, it is written down; the obligation to vote is not written down. Compulsory participation in elections should be provided for in the Constitution. Regarding the adjustment of methods for registering voters and recording their participation in public life, in elections, then here we can consider the experience of introducing voter passports. This separate document, where a mark is placed on the participation of this citizen in the elections. When using these passports, the possibility of double voting is excluded. But another problem arises. It is important to keep in mind that citizens' rights do not depend on whether you voted or not. If there is an accounting of whether a citizen went to the polls or not, then I do not exclude the further step that those who went may be provided with some specific benefits, privileges, preferences; those who did not go, then perhaps some kind of infringement in rights in law or in person. I believe that at the moment there is no need to radically change the electoral system. It is necessary that people believe in elections, and this means that elections cannot be turned into a tool for manipulation. Elections should not be a tool for achieving narrow specific goals, but should be an engine for the development of democratic principles in society.

Presenter: And if such a passport is introduced, will it be valid upon reaching 18 years of age and for life?

Dubrovina E. P.: Yes. We do not have an upper age limit, so all citizens over 18 years of age will have to be taken into account. A database must be created for all voters. Since we currently do not have the necessary turnout limit, this means that it is premature to introduce registration of voters who came to vote. I think that this will not be used for the benefit of the voter.

Presenter: Please tell me, since this topic has been touched upon and such a discussion has begun to develop, how do you see the procedure itself, the mechanism of forced voting? How will it be carried out, what forces can be involved? Who will actually implement these actions?

Dubrovina E. P.: I wouldn’t call it forced voting, although there is a certain coloration. Rather, it is compulsory voting, i.e. the citizen’s obligation to go vote. In my opinion, there will be no special mechanisms; there will simply be a registration of those who voted. We're counting now total number voted, and there will be a personal record of voters who voted. And, accordingly, those who did not come to vote may be held administratively accountable. It will be civilized. A person receives a notification that a fine of a certain amount has been imposed on him due to the fact that he did not come to the polls. If this does not suit him, then next time he will certainly go to vote.

Presenter: Please tell me, are there any plans to introduce any sanctions for deliberately spoiled or “snatched” ballots from the polling station?

Dubrovina E. P.: I believe that here, too, we cannot go too far, we cannot impose any sanctions. I have repeatedly seen how a person who did not consider it possible for himself to vote leaves, and an observer or a member of the commission runs after him, grabs him by the sleeve and demands a ballot from him. I think this is wrong, it is a citizen's right. If he did not vote, it means that he was not convinced by the campaigning of these candidates or parties that he needed them. At the same time, why is this question raised at all, because the ballots that are handed out sometimes play a negative role, because copies and fake ballots are made from them. Or they can be used in so-called “carousels”, when a voter is given a completed ballot while still on the street, which he must place in the ballot box. And he must take out the ballot that they give him at the polling station. This is, of course, a serious violation, and it must be suppressed by election commissions and the police. I think that with the introduction of electronic voting, when there are no ballots as such, this problem will disappear by itself.

Presenter: It is possible that the introduction of fines in the future for failure to appear at elections is, to some extent, a justified and correct step of the state, in which the majority of citizens are not politically active, however, are there any plans to revise the procedure for obtaining registration certificates? As a person registered in a “remote Siberian village” and working in Moscow, it is not possible for me to obtain a registration certificate, and, therefore, due to shortcomings in the legislation, I will not take part in the elections, and if penalties are introduced, I will also be punished . Do you think this is fair?

Dubrovina E. P.: I believe that the person who asks this question, in principle, has already answered it himself, because he cannot be registered in a “dead village”, but live in Moscow. According to the registration rules, they register where they live. That is, the law gives him the right to travel throughout the country without hindrance, but, of course, he must be registered where he lives. As for registration certificates, we do not have any, but voter registration is maintained. He follows a different system. There is a voter register; data is entered into the voter register upon the proposal of the relevant authorities, in particular the migration service. I believe that there is no need to invent anything here, and such citizens simply need to resolve their registration issue. Perhaps it makes sense here to raise questions about the liberalization of registration as such. If you large quantity people across the country are having trouble registering, then it's probably a registration issue, not a voting rights issue. At the same time, I should note that during elections, special polling stations (several) are created where citizens can vote without registration.

Presenter: The modern electoral system of the Russian Federation needs further improvement, and above all, to be freed from pressure from modern political parties in favor of democratic principles. What is being done in this direction and how is this process controlled so that in the future no one doubts the voluntary expression of the will of voters, and, consequently, the truth of the voting results and election results?

Dubrovina E. P.: We are only at a transitional stage in democratic society. And I believe that it depends on everyone when we can say that we are a democratic country, because pressure can only be responded to mainly by resistance. And resistance can come from self-esteem, because a person should not allow himself to be pressured. If a person allows, those who press achieve their result, it turns out vicious circle. As for political parties, unfortunately, a character trait of Russians is the lack of law-abidingness. We do not respect the law and very often break it. From the simplest things, starting with the rules traffic and consumer protection law. We don't respect ourselves when we buy a bad product and don't declare it, don't complain, just throw it away and everything is in the best case. And it is precisely here that a civic position manifests itself and a person forces others to reckon with himself, out of a sense of dignity, he does not miss, well, let’s say, some negatives, and forces everyone to consider himself, and he himself considers everyone. Using the example of, say, our electoral system I have also seen more than once when members of the election commission, especially at the lower level, try to please political parties, which dominate in this case. Moreover, one chairman of the territorial election commission hung a letter of commendation over his head for assistance in organizing and conducting elections at a certain level from one of the parties, i.e., a person who is professionally involved in elections is praised by the party for assistance in holding elections. This can be understood in two ways. Who did this person contribute to, who did this person help? What is this party only? Do you understand? And this man hangs this gratitude in the red corner, on the front wall, and is proud of it. There is no understanding that everyone should do their job and be proud that they do it with dignity according to the law, without bowing their heads.

Presenter: Currently, technical means of counting votes are being introduced in Russia. What is the meaning of this innovation? How should it be applied, in your opinion, so that the voting rights of citizens are not violated?

Dubrovina E. P.: Indeed, now we, mainly as an experiment, are conducting such voting at all small quantity plots. So this is a question for the future. The undoubted advantage of such voting is that the elections are free from paperwork, because the production of ballots is quite difficult work. We tried different things. Now, let’s say, a stamp is being introduced, a ballot is made from plain paper in all corners of the country, but this stamp is made only at one enterprise, and this protected stamp is sent out throughout Russia. A lot is being done to eliminate the possibility of fraud, to eliminate the possibility of replacing ballots. As for electronic voting, there will be no such difficulties with its implementation. The process of counting votes is also greatly simplified. Here the result is accumulated, and you just press the button at the right time and at the end of the voting the result is ready. The faster the result is displayed on the screen and everyone sees it, the less likely it is to change for one reason or another. This is a big plus. The downside is that voters do not yet have sustainable trust in electronics. Therefore, of course, we must move towards this slowly but surely. First, it is necessary for our people to trust the elections, so that they do not talk everywhere about falsification.

Presenter: It is also common for any technical device to fail, unfortunately.

Dubrovina E. P.: Yes, and now it happens that, for example, the lights go out during voting. And if the device is disconnected from the electrical supply, then certain difficulties immediately arise.

Presenter: That is, one way or another, you in any case believe that electronic voting is the future.

Dubrovina E. P.: The future, but not the near future.

Presenter: That is, you don’t see the prospect that in the next decade Russia will switch to universal electronic voting?

Dubrovina E. P.: I think that such a transition will not happen in the next two electoral cycles - it is very expensive. Now there are many more important issues.

Presenter: Possibilities such as voting via the Internet, by mail, and by telephone are also currently being discussed. What is your opinion on such opportunities?

Dubrovina E. P.: I believe that our country is not ready for this. Our voters are not ready for this, and neither are the commissions. I believe that it is better to develop gradually than to make some sudden leaps and then talk about poor preparation.

Presenter: Thanks a lot. Please tell me what is your forecast for voter turnout for the elections on March 2?

Dubrovina E. P.: I think that the turnout will be quite high by European standards. I believe that we should always understand that not all people have the opportunity to come and vote on this day. Therefore, to say that it is necessary to strive for 100%, in my opinion, is uncivilized. I think voter turnout will be over 50%.

Presenter: Thank you very much for the interesting and detailed answers.

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• source:

In Russia, presidential elections will be held on March 18. One of the main goals of the ongoing election campaign— ensure the highest possible turnout. Forced voting is complained about in advance by those who usually suffer as a result of elections: public sector employees, employees of state-owned companies, students. People are lured to the polling stations by competitions for the best selfie, cheap food and pop concerts; At the same time, threats are pouring in. Meduza found out how Russians are preparing for organized voting on March 18.

Pressure on public sector employees

The Moscow City Election Commission promises to organize several concerts for the “young voters of Moscow” at the Olimpiysky sports complex with the participation of LʼOne, Timati, Yegor Creed and other Russian performers. “We pay, of course, everything related to the service, and the musicians invite all their fans to come to their concerts. Every young person, regardless of whether he is a Muscovite or a student, those who come to the polling stations will receive special flyers, register, choose from three dates what suits them, and go to the concert,” - Chairman of the Moscow City Election Commission Valentin on February 28 Gorbunov.

Artist Nikolai Baskov promised that he would “personally like” everyone who, on March 18, posts a selfie on their Instagram at a polling station mentioning the singer’s name. “This day, without exaggeration, will determine the future of our country. Join us, friends! — called Basque.

In Yaroslavl, the mayor's office is organizing 26 food fairs near polling stations. “We have agreed with large wholesale companies and purchase most goods directly from manufacturers, so prices for socially significant goods will be even lower than in chain stores,” said Alexey Toropov, vice mayor for socio-economic development of Yaroslavl. The fairs will run from eight in the morning to eight in the evening. You can buy a package of pasta there for 12 rubles, a can of peas for 25 rubles. It is much cheaper than in stores; The city administration called such prices “social.”

Interesting article?

Deputies of the LDPR faction propose to supplement the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation with an article establishing criminal liability for coercion to vote in elections or referendums. The corresponding bill has already been submitted to the State Duma.

“The legal regulation of elections as one of the main institutions of democracy must comply with generally accepted norms and principles international law, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,” note deputies of the LDPR faction in explanatory note to the bill.

They emphasize that suffrage is one of the developing industries. Thus, 4 articles have already been added to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: 141 “Obstruction of the exercise of electoral rights or the work of election commissions”, 141.1 “Violation of the procedure for financing the election campaign of a candidate, electoral association, electoral bloc, the activities of an initiative group for a referendum, or another group of participants referendum”, 142 “Falsification of election documents, referendum documents or incorrect counting of votes” and 142.1 “Falsification of voting results”.

At the same time, according to parliamentarians, the state is obliged not only to provide citizens with the right to participate in free, fair elections, but also to prevent coercion of them to participate in voting or refuse to vote for a certain candidate, electoral association or bloc.

Currently, there are numerous cases where persons on whom a citizen is in official or financial dependence force him to vote in various ways(for example, by using a service or financial situation, violence, deception, etc.). “The public danger of such actions is obvious,” parliamentarians are convinced.

They note that a number of states (USA, Sweden, Germany, China, Holland, Denmark, Switzerland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Estonia and others) have included in their criminal legislation norms that specify the crime of coercion to vote in elections. In most states, this is punishable by imprisonment for up to two years or a fine.

The authors of the bill propose to supplement the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation with a new article 141.2 “Violation of the freedom of expression of citizens during elections or referendums.” In accordance with it, coercion to vote is punishable by a fine of up to 200 thousand rubles or in the amount wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of up to 18 months, or deprivation of the right to hold certain positions for a period of 2 to 5 years, or compulsory work for a period of 120 to 180 hours, or correctional labor for up to 1 year.

The same acts committed against two or more persons, as well as committed by prior conspiracy or by an organized group, are proposed to be punished with a fine in the amount of up to 500 thousand rubles or in the amount of wages (other income of the convicted person) for a period of 1 to 3 years, or compulsory work for a period of 180 to 240 hours, or correctional labor for a term of 1 to 2 years, arrest for a term of up to 6 months, or imprisonment for a term of 2 to 5 years.