Electoral systems and their types. Types of electoral systems

It is difficult to imagine modern democracy without such an element as the electoral system. Most political scientists are strikingly unanimous in their appreciation of the role of elections in the modern democratic process. Its governing structure can easily be called the electoral system.

Definition of the electoral system

Code formally certain rules and techniques, the main purpose of which is to ensure the participation of the country's citizens in the formation of a number of government bodies, is called the electoral system. Since in modern societies There are not only parliamentary and presidential elections, but also elections to other government bodies; it can be said that electoral systems make a significant contribution to the formation of the democratic foundations of society.

Before they formed modern types electoral systems, countries that chose democratic ideals had to go through a long and thorny path of struggle with class, racial, property and other restrictions. The twentieth century brought with it the formation of a new approach to the electoral process, based on the development of an international system of norms, which is based on the principle of freedom of choice.

In countries that have created true democratic institutions, political systems have developed that provide access to power and political decision-making only on the basis of the results of the free universal choice of citizens. The method that allows one to obtain this result is voting, and the features of the organization of this process and the counting of votes represent the established types of electoral systems.

Main criteria

To understand the functional orientation of the electoral system and attribute it to one type or another, one should have an idea of ​​what national elections are. Types of electoral systems make it possible to complement the understanding of the electoral process, outline the goals and main tasks they serve. Their essence is to translate decisions made by voters into a constitutionally defined number of government powers and a certain number of seats in parliament. The difference lies in what exactly will be used as a selection criterion: the majority principle or a certain quantitative proportion.

Instrumental ways through which the transfer of votes into parliamentary seats and powers are realized allow the best way reveal the concept and types of electoral systems.

These include:

• a quantitative criterion that determines the results - either there is one winner who received a majority, or several, based on proportional representation;
• method of voting and forms of nominating candidates;
• method of filling out and type of electoral list;
• type of electoral district - how many mandates are there in the district (one or many).

The choice in favor of any methods or methods, which together form the uniqueness of the electoral system of a particular country, occurs under the influence of historical conditions, established cultural and political traditions, and sometimes on the basis of specific tasks of political development. Political science distinguishes two main types of electoral systems: majoritarian and proportional.

Generalized typology

The main factors that determine the types of electoral systems are the method of voting and the method of distribution of parliamentary mandates and government powers. It should be noted here that there are no pure systems in the form of a majority or proportional system - both in practice are specific forms or types. They can be represented as a continuous collection. Modern political world offers us diversity various options, based on the same diversity of democracies. The question of choosing the best system also remains open, since each has both advantages and disadvantages.

All the diverse combination of elements of electoral institutions that have developed in world practice, forming the democratic foundations of a particular society, reflect the main types of electoral systems: majoritarian and proportional.

Majoritarian and proportional principles

The name of the first system translated from French means “majority”. In this case, the winner who gets elected is the candidate for whom the majority of the electorate voted. The main goal pursued by the majoritarian type of electoral system is to determine the winner or a certain majority capable of implementing political decisions. In technical terms, this system is the simplest of all. It was this that was the first to be implemented during elections to representative institutions.

Experts consider its main drawback to be the discrepancy between the number of votes cast for a candidate or list and the number of seats received in parliament. It is also problematic that voters who voted for a party that lost do not receive representation in the elected body. Therefore, already in the second half of the 19th century, the proportional system became widespread.

Features of the proportional system

This electoral system is based on the principle that seats in elected bodies are distributed proportionally - in accordance with the number of votes received by a party or list of candidates. In other words, a party or list will receive the number of seats in parliament equal to the number of votes given for them. The proportional system solves the previous problem, since there are absolutely no losers. Consequently, those parties with fewer votes do not lose their right to distribute seats in parliament.

The types of electoral systems - proportional and majoritarian - are rightly considered the main ones, since it is their principles that form the foundation of any electoral system.

The mixed system is the result of the development of the electoral process

The following, mixed type of electoral system was called upon to neutralize the shortcomings and in some way strengthen the advantages of the first two. Both the majority and proportional principles can be used here. Political scientists distinguish these types of mixing: structural and linear. The application of the first is possible only in a bicameral parliament: here one chamber is elected on the basis of a majoritarian principle, and the second - on a proportional basis. The linear type involves the application of the same principles, but for part of the parliament, as a rule, according to the “50 to 50” principle.

Types of electoral systems. Their characteristics

A more detailed understanding of the typology of electoral systems will be made possible by studying the subtypes that have developed in the practice of various states.

In the majoritarian system, systems of absolute, or simple, and relative majorities have developed.

Varieties of majoritarian choice: absolute majority

In this case, to obtain mandates, an absolute majority of votes will be required - 50% + 1. That is, a number that is at least one vote greater than half the number of voters in a particular district. As a rule, the basis is the number of voters or the number of votes recognized as valid.

Who benefits from such a system? First of all, large and well-known parties with a large and permanent electorate. For small parties it gives practically no chance.

The advantage of this subtype lies in the technical simplicity of determining the election results, as well as in the fact that the winner will be a representative of the absolute majority of citizens who chose him. The remaining part of the votes will not be represented in parliament - this is a serious drawback.

The political practice of a number of countries using a majoritarian electoral system has developed mechanisms that make it possible to neutralize its influence through the use of repeated voting and re-balloting.

The application of the first involves holding as many rounds as are necessary in order for a candidate to emerge who will receive an absolute majority of votes.

Reballoting allows you to determine the winner using a two-round vote. Here a candidate can be elected in the first round. However, this becomes possible only if the absolute majority of voters vote for him. If this does not happen, then a second round is held, in which only a simple majority is needed.

The undoubted advantage of this mechanism is that the winner will be identified in any case. It is used in presidential elections and characterizes the type of electoral system in the Russian Federation, as well as in countries such as France, Ukraine, and Belarus.

Relative majority, or first at the finish line

Here the main condition is to obtain a simple or relative majority, in other words, to have more votes than opponents. In fact, the majority taken here as a basis cannot be called such, since it is the largest of the represented minorities. To paraphrase the British, this subtype can be called “the first to reach the finish line.”

If we consider the relative majority from an instrumental perspective, then its main task is to transfer the votes of voters in a certain district to one of the seats in parliament.

Consideration in various ways and instrumental features allows us to gain a deeper understanding of what types of electoral systems exist. The table below will systematically present them, linking them with implementation practices in a particular state.

Proportional principle: lists and transfer of votes

Main technical feature The list system is that more than one mandate is allocated to one constituency, and generated lists of party candidates are used as the main method of nominating candidates. The essence of the system is that a party that participates in elections can receive as many seats in parliament as is expected based on the proportion calculated based on voting throughout the entire election territory.

The technique for distributing mandates is as follows: the total number of votes cast for the party list is divided by the number of seats in parliament and the so-called electoral meter is obtained. It represents the number of votes required to obtain one mandate. The number of such meters is, in fact, the number of parliamentary seats received by the party.

Party representation also has its own varieties. Political scientists distinguish between complete and limited. In the first case, the country is a united district and a single electorate, in which all mandates are distributed at once. This technique is justified for countries with a small territory, but for large states it is somewhat unfair due to those voters who do not always have an idea for whom to vote.

Limited representation is intended to offset the shortcomings of full representation. It assumes that the electoral process and the distribution of seats take place in several districts (multi-member districts). However, in this case, sometimes there are large discrepancies between the number of votes that a party received in the country as a whole and the number of possible representatives.

In order to avoid the presence of extreme parties, fragmentation and disunity in parliament, proportionality is limited by a percentage threshold. This technique allows only those parties that have overcome this threshold to enter parliament.

The voting system is not as widespread in modern world like others. Its main goal is to minimize the number of voices unrepresented in parliament and to enable their more adequate representation.

The presented system is implemented in multi-member districts using preference voting. Here the voter has additional opportunity choose between representatives from the party to which he gave his vote.

The table below presents the types of electoral systems systematically, depending on the practice of their implementation in certain countries.

Type of electoral system in Russia

In Russia, the formation of its own electoral system has passed a long and difficult path. Its principles are laid down in the fundamental law of the state - the Constitution. Russian Federation, where it is indicated that the norms of the electoral system are within the current jurisdiction of the federation and its subjects.

The electoral process in the Russian Federation is regulated by a number of regulations that contain the main aspects legal regulation electoral process. The principles of the majoritarian system have found application in Russian political practice:

• during the election of the president of the country;
• during the election of half of the deputies of representative bodies state power;
• during elections to municipal bodies.

The majoritarian system is used in the elections of the President of the Russian Federation. Here the method of re-balloting is used with the implementation of two-round voting.

Elections to the Russian State Duma from 1993 to 2007 were carried out on the basis of a mixed system. At the same time, half of the deputies of parliament were elected on the basis of the majority principle in single-mandate constituencies, and the second - in a single constituency on the basis of proportional principles.

Between 2007 and 2011. the entire composition of the State Duma was elected according to the proportional electoral system. The next elections will return Russia to the implementation of the previous form of elections.

It should be noted that for modern Russia characterized by a democratic electoral system. This peculiarity is emphasized by legal norms, according to which victory is possible only if more than a quarter of registered voters realize their will. Otherwise, the election is considered invalid.

On the one hand, they provide an opportunity for people with political ambitions and organizational skills to be elected to government, and on the other hand, they involve the general public in political life and allow ordinary citizens to influence political decisions.

Electoral system in a broad sense, they refer to the system of social relations associated with the formation of elected authorities.

The electoral system includes two main elements:

• theoretical (suffrage);
• practical (electoral process).

Suffrage- this is the right of citizens to directly participate in the formation of elected institutions of government, i.e. elect and be elected. Electoral law also refers to legal norms regulating the procedure for granting citizens the right to participate in elections and the method of forming government bodies. The foundations of modern Russian electoral law are enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Electoral process is a set of activities for the preparation and conduct of elections. It includes, on the one hand, the election campaigns of candidates, and on the other, the work of election commissions to form an elected government body.

The following components are distinguished in the electoral process:

• calling elections;
• organization of electoral districts, districts, precincts;
• formation of election commissions;
• voter registration;
• nomination and registration of candidates;
• preparation of ballots and absentee ballots;
• pre-election struggle; o voting;
• counting votes and determining voting results.

Principles of democratic elections

To ensure the fairness and effectiveness of the electoral system, the election procedure must be democratic.

Democratic principles of organization and conduct of elections are as follows:

• universality - all adult citizens have the right to participate in elections, regardless of their gender, race, nationality, religion, property status, etc.;
• equality of citizen votes: each voter has one vote;
• direct and secret voting;
• availability of alternative candidates, competitiveness of elections;
• transparency of elections;
• truthful voter information;
• absence of administrative, economic and political pressure;
• equality of opportunity for political parties and candidates;
• voluntariness of participation in elections;
• legal response to any cases of violation of election legislation;
• frequency and regularity of elections.

Features of the electoral system of the Russian Federation

In the Russian Federation, the existing electoral system regulates the procedure for holding elections of the head of state, deputies of the State Duma and regional authorities.

Candidate for the post President of the Russian Federation may be a Russian citizen of at least 35 years of age who has lived in Russia for at least 10 years. A candidate cannot be a person who has foreign citizenship or a residence permit, an unexpunged and unexpunged criminal record. The same person cannot hold the position of President of the Russian Federation for more than two consecutive terms. The President is elected for six years on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot. Presidential elections are held on a majoritarian basis. The president is considered elected if in the first round of voting a majority of voters who took part in the voting voted for one of the candidates. If this does not happen, a second round is scheduled, in which two candidates who scored in the first round participate greatest number votes, and the winner is the one who received more votes from voters who took part in the voting than the other registered candidate.

A State Duma deputy can A citizen of the Russian Federation who has reached the age of 21 and has the right to participate in elections was elected. 450 deputies are elected to the State Duma from party lists on a proportional basis. In order to overcome the electoral threshold and receive mandates, a party must gain a certain percentage of the votes. The term of office of the State Duma is five years.

Citizens of Russia also participate in elections to government bodies and elective positions in subjects of the Russian Federation. According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation. the system of regional government bodies is established by the subjects of the Federation independently in accordance with the fundamentals of the constitutional system and current legislation. The law establishes special days for voting in elections to government bodies of the constituent entities of the Federation and local governments - the second Sunday of March and the second Sunday of October.

Types of electoral systems

The electoral system in the narrow sense refers to the procedure for determining the voting results, which depends primarily on the principle counting votes.

On this basis, there are three main types of electoral systems:

• majoritarian;
• proportional;
• mixed.

Majoritarian electoral system

In conditions majoritarian system (from the French majorite - majority) the candidate who receives the majority of votes wins. The majority can be absolute (if a candidate received more than half the votes) or relative (if one candidate received more votes than the other). The disadvantage of a majoritarian system is that it can reduce the chances of small parties gaining representation in government.

The majoritarian system means that in order to be elected, a candidate or party must receive a majority of votes from voters in a district or the entire country, while those who collect a minority of votes do not receive mandates. Majoritarian electoral systems are divided into absolute majority systems, which are more often used in presidential elections and in which the winner must receive more than half the votes (minimum - 50% of the votes plus one vote), and relative majority systems (Great Britain, Canada, USA, France, Japan and etc.), when to win it is necessary to get ahead of other contenders. When applying the absolute majority principle, if no candidate receives more than half of the votes, a second round of elections is held, in which the two candidates who received the largest number of votes are presented (sometimes all candidates who received more than the established minimum votes in the first round are allowed into the second round ).

Proportional electoral system

Proportional The electoral system involves voting by voters according to party lists. After the elections, each party receives a number of mandates proportional to the percentage of votes received (for example, a party that receives 25% of the votes receives 1/4 of the seats). In parliamentary elections it is usually established interest barrier(electoral threshold) that a party must overcome in order to get its candidates into parliament; As a result, small parties that do not have broad social support do not receive mandates. Votes for parties that do not overcome the threshold are distributed among the winning parties in the elections. A proportional system is only possible in multi-mandate electoral districts, i.e. those where several deputies are elected and the voter votes for each of them personally.

The essence of the proportional system is the distribution of mandates in proportion to the number of votes received by electoral coalitions. The main advantage of this system is the representation of parties in elected bodies in accordance with their real popularity among voters, which makes it possible to more fully express the interests of all groups, to intensify the participation of citizens in elections and in general. In order to overcome excessive party fragmentation of the parliament and limit the possibility of representatives of radical or even extremist forces entering it, many countries use barriers or thresholds that establish the minimum number of votes required to obtain parliamentary mandates. It usually ranges from 2 (Denmark) to 5% (Germany) of all votes cast. Parties that do not collect the required minimum votes do not receive a single mandate.

Comparative analysis of proportional and electoral systems

Majoritarian an electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes wins favors the formation of bipartisanship or a “bloc” party system, while proportional, in which parties with the support of only 2-3% of voters can get their candidates into parliament, perpetuates the fragmentation of political forces and the preservation of many small parties, including extremist ones.

Bipartisanism assumes the presence of two large political parties, approximately equal in influence, which alternately replace each other in power by winning a majority of seats in parliament, elected by direct universal suffrage.

Mixed electoral system

Currently, many countries use mixed systems that combine elements of majoritarian and proportional electoral systems. Thus, in Germany, one half of the Bundestag deputies are elected according to a majority system of relative majority, the second - according to a proportional system. A similar system was used in Russia in the elections to the State Duma in 1993 and 1995.

Mixed the system involves a combination of majority and proportional systems; for example, one part of the parliament is elected by a majoritarian system, and the second by a proportional system; in this case, the voter receives two ballots and casts one vote for the party list, and the second for a specific candidate elected on a majoritarian basis.

In recent decades, some organizations (green parties, etc.) have used consensus election system. It has a positive orientation, that is, it is focused not on criticizing the enemy, but on finding the most acceptable candidate or electoral platform for everyone. In practice, this is expressed in the fact that the voter votes not for one, but for all (necessarily more than two) candidates and ranks their list in order own preferences. First place is awarded five points, second place is given four points, third place is given three points, fourth place is given two points, and fifth place is given one point. After voting, the points received are summed up and the winner is determined based on their number.

Any democratic state is characterized by the presence of fair elections and referendums. Elections in the Russian Federation are held regularly. How are they organized, what does the legislation on the electoral system in the Russian Federation say? Let's try to understand our material.

Elections in a democracy

The system of organizing the electoral process is a necessary element of the implementation of democracy. This is the basic principle of Russian statehood. The Russian Constitution contains fundamental principles related to the formation and implementation of elections. The provisions have the highest legal force, direct action and a structured procedure for implementation throughout the country.

The basic law of the country outlines the constitutional and legal scheme of the relationship between the institution of elections and democracy as political form formation of power. The characteristics of such institutions as referendums and elections are fundamental. These are the highest ways of expressing the power of the people. It is these two instruments that make up the electoral system in the Russian Federation.

The constitutional foundations for the development of political democracy include the supremacy of the fundamental normative act- Constitution, federal laws and legislation of the country's regions. The unity of the structure of state power is ensured, the delimitation of responsibilities, powers and areas of jurisdiction between central and subject bodies is ensured.

To understand exactly how the electoral system in the Russian Federation is structured, one should refer to Article 32 of the Russian Constitution. It says that the opportunity to elect and be elected to government bodies and local self-government is a subjective right of citizens of the Russian Federation. The right to choose is called active, and the right to be elected is called passive. On the basis of these two possibilities, the system of electoral law in the Russian Federation is being formed.

The value of elections

What is the importance of the institution of election in the Russian Federation? The implementation of the basic principles of the electoral system, as already mentioned, is a fundamental criterion for maintaining democracy in the country.

At the present stage, the problem of transition of political institutions remains. The old authorities still retain their influence on the development and adoption of strategic decisions, and the new bodies do not yet have necessary qualities to adequately influence the policy of future development and its regulation.

Thus, two opposing trends remain in the system under consideration: restoration and modernization. They personify the accompanying technologies of social management: authoritarianism and democracy. This manifests itself in permanent institutional conflicts and crises. The resolution of the latter is permissible only by reaching an agreement between the leading socio-political groups and forces. This, in turn, presupposes the presence of a mechanism for coordinating positions and interests. The fundamental instrument here is elections - the electoral system in the Russian Federation.

Elections are the most important institution for the organization and implementation of public power in modern political societies. They form a new problem area and a separate area of ​​professional activity.

System principles

The electoral law and electoral system in the Russian Federation are based on a number of important principles. The first and main principle has already been discussed above - this is democracy. In any democratic state, the priority task is to respect the rights and freedoms of man and citizen. Suffrage as a system of legal institutions aims to protect social interests.

Another principle is related to humanity. In fact, any legal system is humanistic in nature, as it is aimed at protecting public rights and freedoms.

So, the three general principles of the electoral system in the Russian Federation are closely related to each other: democracy has a humanistic character, as a result of which the country ensures the protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens.

The next group of principles is called special. Here we should highlight the universality of suffrage, as well as its direct and equal nature for all. The secrecy of voting must be ensured, as well as the voluntariness of participation in the election process. At the same time, government authorities must remember the mandatory organization of elections, their frequency, the independence of election commissions, as well as transparency and openness when counting votes.

Types of electoral systems in the Russian Federation

What is the electoral system? This is a set of social relations that are associated with the elections of public authorities. The sphere of such relations is quite voluminous, and therefore it is usually divided into several forms.

The first option is called the majoritarian electoral system. In the Russian Federation this is a majority system. The person for whom the application was submitted is considered elected. greatest number votes. Votes that were cast for other candidates disappear. This system is considered the only possible option when electing one official. The use of such a system for the election of a collegial authority, say the chamber of parliament, entails the formation of single-mandate electoral districts. It turns out that only one official should be elected in each district.

There are two types of majoritarian systems: absolute and relative. Under the absolute system, a candidate must get 50 percent and one more vote. In the relative form of the majoritarian system, the candidate receives a simple majority of votes.

The second version of the electoral system is called proportional. The main idea is to obtain in parliament the number of mandates that is proportional to the number of votes cast for its candidates in the election process. The main disadvantage of such a system is its complexity. However, the proportional form is fairly fair. The voter determines his political preferences within the framework of the list of candidates.

The third option is called mixed or semi-proportional. The two systems described above are combined here. By requiring a majority vote to implement the electoral process, some opportunities are given for the representation of a minority of voters. The limited vote rule is used, according to which the voter does not vote for a number of candidates that is equal to the number of deputies to be elected, but for a much smaller number.

Sources of Russian electoral law

Having understood the main types of electoral systems in the Russian Federation, you should pay attention legislative framework, thanks to which the entire structure under consideration functions.

The main normative source of electoral law is, of course, the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Its article 32, which regulates the election process in the Russian state, has already been mentioned above.

Article 15 of the country's main law states the priority of international norms over domestic provisions. Here reference is made to the need to comply with international treaties. In the field of electoral law, this is, for example, the International Covenant on Political Civil Rights of 1966. Here we should highlight decisions of the Human Rights Court, UN conventions and much more.

IN domestic system sources, in addition to the Russian Constitution, one should highlight the Federal Law “On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights”, the Federal Law “On Presidential Elections”, the Federal Law “On Elections to the State Duma” and a number of other normative acts.

Federal electoral system

Elections of deputies to the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, are excellent example the work of federal electoral law and the electoral system in the Russian Federation. Historically, it was the elections to the representative body that largely determined the direction of development of the entire system of Russian electoral legislation.

Second important element within the framework of the work of the central electoral system are elections Russian head state - president. This official is appointed every six years by direct expression of the civil will.

Both phenomena are regulated by appropriate regulatory framework. Firstly, this is the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which determines the main directions of the domestic electoral system. Secondly, these are the federal laws “On Presidential Elections” and “On Elections of State Duma Deputies”.

Elections to the State Duma

The concept of the electoral system in the Russian Federation can be viewed through the prism of the procedure for forming the lower house of parliament - the State Duma. This is a process of universal, secret and direct voting for the appointment of 450 deputies. This procedure is carried out every 5 years.

In accordance with the current legislation, half of the 450 mandates are distributed among political party lists that received at least 5% of the votes as a result of the election. The second half includes deputies who won elections in single-mandate constituencies.

According to the Federal Law "On the Election of Deputies to the State Duma", deputies are vested with powers in the federal electoral district in proportion to the number of votes that were cast for the federal lists of candidates. Elections of each new convocation are initiated by the head of state. The decision to start the election process must be made no earlier than 110 days and no later than three months before the start of the election process.

Election day is the first Sunday of the month on which the constitutional term of office of the lower parliamentary house expires. The list of candidates is formed by including candidates in the federal list of candidates. Each political party can nominate only one list.

Problems of elections to the State Duma

The Russian Federation is a relatively young state. It appeared in 1991, and its main law, the Constitution, was released only in 1993. Because of this, the existing electoral system, as well as the political system, cannot be called perfect. The problems of the system become especially noticeable when analyzing the procedure for elections to the Russian State Duma.

At the stage of preparing and licensing the list of candidates, the leadership of electoral associations and blocs often leaves aside the opinion of regional structures. As a result, ordinary voters are excluded from control over the most important stage of the election process. There are frequent cases when party leaders included in their lists anyone who is ready to help the company, including financially. This is an obvious problem with the existing electoral system, since the efficiency of the political structure is noticeably reduced. Even the legal rules for nominating candidates do not help.

To solve the problem, legislators should think about which electoral system in the Russian Federation will be more effective. Replacing the existing mixed election system with a majoritarian form of electing deputies is a radical measure, but the practice of other countries shows its quality.

The second option for optimizing the system involves maintaining the semi-proportional form of the electoral process, but reducing the number of deputies to 150 people. According to some experts, this will make it possible to maintain a positive influence on the development of a multi-party system, and at the same time limit to reasonable limits the influence of political societies on the procedure for forming the State Duma.

Election of the head of state

The electoral system of the President of the Russian Federation has a number of specific features that should be discussed. According to the Federal Law on presidential elections in the Russian Federation, the head of state must have citizenship of the country in which he intends to exercise passive suffrage. He must be at least 35 years old, and his term permanent residence on Russian territory must be at least 10 years. The same person cannot serve as president for more than two consecutive terms.

The Russian president is vested with official powers for a period of six years. The electoral system for the presidential elections in the Russian Federation is built on the principles of equality of votes, secrecy and direct voting.

Elections are held in a single federal electoral district, which includes the entire Russian territory. The vote is called by the highest house of Parliament - the Federation Council. The decision to hold an electoral vote must be made no earlier than 100 days and no later than three months before the day of election of the president.

Regional elections

The system of electoral bodies of the Russian Federation in the constituent entities operates somewhat differently than at the federal level. The initial principles of the formation of regional power structures are regulated in the Constitution. Thus, Article 77 of the country’s basic law states that regions have the opportunity self-determination legal status, the procedure for electing and the structure of their representative bodies.

According to the Federal Law "On Basic Guarantees of Citizens' Electoral Rights", strict adherence to democratic norms and principles is required in Russian regions. The inadmissibility of restricting civil voting rights depending on gender, ethnicity, nationality, worldview, language, origin, existing property, attitude to religion, etc. should be emphasized.

The voting procedure in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation differs little from the federal one. All the same rules and principles are implemented as during the formation of the central legislative system, or when vesting the president with official powers.

Conducting elections and determining voting results.

Under the electoral system (in a narrow sense) only means the method of determining the election results, i.e. final stage elections. Of course, the use of a particular electoral system affects the entire organization of elections, but the main point electoral system - determination of election results.

The following types of electoral systems are distinguished:

1. majoritarian (from the French word “majority”);
2. proportional;
3. mixed.

Majoritarian electoral system

The main feature of the majoritarian electoral system is that those candidates (list of candidates) are considered elected. which received the majority of voters.

Varieties of the majority system:

1. majoritarian system of relative majority;
2. absolute majority system;
3. Majoritarian system of qualified majority.

Majority system of relative majority is a system in which the candidate (list of candidates) who received the largest number of votes compared to others is considered elected, regardless of how many voters voted against this candidate. This system is used in the elections of representative bodies, for example, in the USA, Great Britain, and India. Under the conditions of a majoritarian system of relative majority, if only one candidate is nominated, then voting may not take place, since it will be enough for the candidate to vote for himself. After all, having received at least one vote, he will receive the largest number of votes, since there are no other contenders.

In our country, half of the State Duma, those running in single-mandate constituencies, as well as the majority of representative bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and local self-government are elected using the majoritarian electoral system. Some believe that the majority system is the most representative of voters. But that's not true. Let's assume that there are 10 thousand voters in three electoral districts. Candidates from three parties were nominated: A, B and C. As a result of the elections in the first electoral district, the candidate from party A collected 9.5 thousand votes. Candidate from party B - 100 votes, candidate from party B - 400 votes. In another electoral district, the votes were distributed as follows: the candidate from party A - 3.3 thousand, party B - 3.4 thousand, party C - 3.3 thousand votes. In the third electoral district, the candidate from party A received 3.4 thousand votes, from party B - 3.5 thousand votes, from party C - 3.1 thousand votes. As a result, in three districts, party A, which received 16.2 thousand votes, will receive one deputy seat, party B, for whose candidate 7 thousand voters voted, will receive 2 deputy mandates, and party B, for which 6.2 thousand votes were cast, will receive no seats at all. will not receive a single deputy mandate.

This example is evidence of the imperfection of the relative majority electoral system and confirmation of the importance of electoral geography.

Majority system of absolute majority(valid in France and some other countries, until 1993 it was valid in Russia) stipulates that the winning candidate (list of candidates) in an election must receive more than half of all votes recognized as valid (50% plus one vote at a minimum). If no candidate receives more than half the votes, a second round of voting is usually held, in which, as a rule, only the two candidates with the most votes in the first round are allowed to participate.

Be that as it may, the majoritarian system of an absolute majority in the election of deputies to parliament or another collegial body is a rather confusing, cumbersome system that requires fairly large financial expenditures. In this regard, the relative majority system is cheaper and makes it easier to determine the winner.

On the other hand, in those countries where elections are held according to a majoritarian system of relative majority, candidates who are supported by much less than half of the voters can and often do win elections. It turns out that the will of the minority prevails, and the will of the majority is not reflected in the election results.

In a majority system, a significant portion of the vote is wasted because candidates for whom a minority cast votes are not considered elected.

Let’s take, for example, the same three electoral districts of 10 thousand voters each and the same three competing parties: A, B and C. Let’s say that the candidate from party A in the elections in the first electoral district received 9 thousand votes, the candidate from party B received 100 votes, and the candidate from party B - 900 votes. In another constituency, the candidate from party A received 900 votes, the candidate from party B - 5.1 thousand votes, and the candidate from party B - 4 thousand votes. In the third electoral district, 2 thousand votes were cast for the candidate from party A, 5.1 thousand votes for the candidate from party B, and 2.9 thousand votes for the candidate from party B. In this hypothetical case, party A, which collected 11.9 thousand votes, will receive only 1 deputy seat. Party B, for whose candidate 10.3 thousand voters voted, will receive 2 deputy mandates, and party B, for whose candidate 7.8 thousand votes were cast, will not be represented at all in the district. The conclusion is the same: the imperfection of the absolute majority electoral system and the importance of the so-called electoral geography.

The majoritarian electoral system of absolute majority with repeated voting is most often observed in the election of officials. In our country, for example, the President of the Russian Federation is elected using such an electoral system.

Majority system of qualified majority is a system in which a candidate who receives a predetermined qualified (for example, 2/3, 3/4, etc.) number of votes is considered elected. This system is used extremely rarely in world practice.

Proportional electoral system

A proportional electoral system is a system based on the principle of distributing deputy mandates in proportion to the number of votes received by each list of candidates. The proportional system is used in elections of deputies to representative bodies of state power, when political parties take part in them and form lists of their candidates in multi-member constituencies.

The distribution of parliamentary seats under a proportional system is carried out in a number of countries by establishing an electoral quota (electoral meter). It is obtained by dividing the total number of votes cast and recognized as valid by the number of electoral mandates falling on a given electoral district.

More details

For example, in the constituency, a total of 98,385 votes were cast during the election. 5 seats in the representative body are subject to replacement. Therefore, the electoral quota (meter) is 19,677 votes. But in different electoral districts a different number of voters may turn up at the polling stations, which means that in other electoral districts there will be a different electoral quota (meter). In some countries, the law establishes a single number of votes for all electoral districts required to elect one deputy (single number method) in order to best ensure the principle of equality. However, this practice is not widespread.

After determining the electoral quota (meter) from each party list, deputy mandates are received by as many people as the number of times the electoral meter (quota) fits into the number of votes collected by a given party in the elections. Thus, in the constituency where only 98,385 votes were cast, three political parties competed for five parliamentary seats. After counting the votes, the following results were found: 56.7 thousand people voted for the list of party A, 32.3 thousand votes were cast for the list of party B, and 9385 votes were cast for the list of party B. Seats in the elected body are distributed as follows. The electoral meter (quota) is calculated twice by the number of votes received by party A, and once by the number of votes collected by party B. Party B has not yet received a single mandate. But only 3 mandates were distributed. In addition, the electoral meter (quota) does not fit an integer number of times into the number of votes collected by each party. In each case some remainder appears. The question of how to take these balances into account is one of the most difficult when determining the results of voting under a proportional electoral system.

There are several ways out of this predicament. Thus, the legislation of a number of countries enshrines the rule of the largest remainder, which means the largest remainder of votes obtained after the distribution of mandates between parties through the use of an electoral meter or natural quota. In this case, the remainder is understood as the number of votes received by a party that is less than the electoral quota. In our example, party A has a remainder of 17,346 votes, party B has 12,623 votes, and party C has 9,385 votes. Therefore, first of all, party A will receive another mandate, since it has the largest balance, party B will also receive another mandate, since its balance is the second largest. Party B remains without mandates. The five mandates are distributed as follows: party A - three mandates, party B - two mandates, party C - not a single mandate. At the same time, the principle of proportionality is somewhat distorted, since in the end, in order to receive one mandate, each party had to collect a different number of votes, and the votes received by party B were generally uncounted. This method of distributing mandates is called the T. Hare method (named after the inventor).

After the distribution of mandates between party lists, the question arises about the procedure for identifying specific candidates who will receive the mandates of deputies. The fact is that, as a rule, there are more candidates on the list than seats received based on the voting results. There are two known systems of “hard” and “soft” lists.

With “hard” ones, the order of candidates is determined by the party when the list is formed: they become deputies in the order of “order” indicated in the list.

With “flexible” lists, voters are given the opportunity to change the order of candidates through preferential voting (from the French word “preference”). The peculiarity of preferential voting is that the voter has the right to indicate in what order mandates should be given to candidates within the party list, if this list has received required amount votes.

More about the barrier

In a number of countries, there is a barrier when using a proportional electoral system.

In this case, parties that received a smaller percentage of votes than established by law are not allowed to distribute deputy mandates, even if they received in certain constituencies or in the national constituency as a whole a number of votes that is sufficient to elect a small number of deputies. The barrier is not the same in different countries: 1.5% in Israel, 4% in Bulgaria, 5% in Germany, 8% in Egypt, 10% in Turkey. In the elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation in 1995 and 1999. a 5% barrier was in effect.

The barrier is intended to ensure that large parties that really have influence among the population are represented in parliament, so that deputies in parliament are not split into numerous groups due to small and minute interests. The barrier also aims to ensure that the government relies in parliament on certain large parties, and in parliamentary republics and parliamentary monarchies - on a party majority. It, of course, distorts the proportional electoral system, the purpose of which is a fair distribution of seats between parties, but it is justified by necessity.

Opponents of the proportional system point out the impersonality of party lists as one of its shortcomings. After all, voters vote for lists compiled by parties, that is, for the party, for their leaders, and not for specific deputies. As a rule, parties include in their lists as many candidates as there are deputies elected to the represented government body from a given constituency. Candidates ranked first in the list become deputies. But it would be a clear exaggeration to believe that voters vote exclusively for party lists, without knowing anything about specific candidates.

Another argument is put forward against the proportional system: the impossibility, under certain circumstances, of ensuring a stable majority in collegial representative bodies of government, which in a number of countries is necessary to form a government. Therefore, in some countries, when choosing one or another proportional electoral system, they deliberately go for the introduction of an electoral system that somewhat distorts the proportionality of representation. In countries where, as a rule, as a result of elections for a long time it is not possible to form a stable majority in parliament, in many cases they prefer distortions of proportionality in favor of large parties. After all, the absence of a parliamentary majority for a long time (especially in parliamentary states) can lead to difficulties in governing the country, which can result in destabilization of political life, and this is fraught with the undermining of democratic foundations. In countries where large parties or party blocs regularly win a majority of seats in parliament (and the majority may be held by one party for quite some time or periodically change from one party to another), the goal of ensuring adequate representation in parliament is often set in order to develop democracy various political forces, for which they introduce an electoral system in which proportionality is somewhat distorted in favor of small parties.

Some authors, comparing majoritarian and proportional systems, try to identify their advantages and disadvantages, based on the premise that the electoral system used is designed to provide a solution to two main problems:

1. constant interaction of the representative body with the population that this body represents;
2. ensuring the expression of the general will and sentiments of the represented population.

The authors of these studies, in relation to elections of local self-government bodies, come to the conclusion that the majority system of elections in single-mandate constituencies is the most popular in Russia. At the same time, they highlight a number of advantages and disadvantages of this system.

The advantages usually include the proximity of elected deputies to their voters: deputies are familiar with their constituencies, the interests of their residents and the deputy and his political qualities are familiar to voters. The disadvantage is the following: the representative body of local self-government formed on such a basis does not have a unified project for the development of the territory of the municipality; Each deputy strives to solve the problems of his district.

The proportional electoral system has a number of opposing qualities: it weakens personal connections and personal responsibility of deputies to voters, but at the same time, the representative body is an exponent of the general interest and has an integral project for the development of the municipality.

The problem of using the proportional system lies in the underdevelopment of the political structure of society and the absence of stable electoral associations at the municipal level. This refers not so much to purely political municipal electoral associations, but to the so-called municipal (town hall) parties. This term is usually used to designate associations of voters in municipalities based on a commonality of views regarding the preferred ways of developing territories.

According to the researchers, the use of a mixed system is more appropriate.

Mixed electoral system

The mixed electoral system is used in the election of deputies and combines elements of both majoritarian and proportional systems.

Electoral system in the Russian Federation

Electoral system is a set of rules, techniques and processes that ensure and regulate the legitimate formation of representative state bodies of political power. The electoral system is the channel through which the process of forming the entire system of representative power is carried out - from local bodies to the president of the country. Political processes are formed under the influence of factors external to them (economic, social, spiritual, etc.); the very existence of elections and electoral systems is determined by the level of socio-economic development of society. Depending on the specific historical characteristics of each country, its legislation determines one or another electoral system. Electoral systems have gone through a long evolutionary path. As a result of almost three centuries of development, representative democracy has developed two main forms of citizen participation in the formation of government bodies - majoritarian and proportional electoral systems. Based on them, mixed forms are also used in modern conditions. Applying each of them to the same voting results may give different results.

Electoral system of the Russian Federation- this is the procedure established by laws and other regulations for elections to government bodies of the Russian Federation, constituent entities of the Federation, local government bodies, as well as officials.

Legal basis of the electoral system constitutes a set of relevant legal norms contained in the Constitution of the Russian Federation, in the constitutions and charters of the constituent entities of the Federation, as well as in the federal laws “On the elections of deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation” (05.18.2005), “On the elections of the President of the Russian Federation” (10.01. 2003), “On the basic guarantees of electoral rights and the right to participate in a referendum of citizens of the Russian Federation” (06/12/2002), etc.

When carrying out elections in The legislative (representative) body uses a mixed electoral system, combining elements of the majoritarian and proportional systems. S.i.s. combines the advantages of majoritarian and proportional systems and to a certain extent eliminates or compensates for their disadvantages. According to the Federal Law of June 24, 1999 “On the election of deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation,” half of the composition of this Chamber is elected in single-mandate constituencies, according to the absolute majority majority system. The second half is elected according to party (federal) lists, which run in a single federal electoral district, and mandates between them are distributed according to a proportional system. When using S.i.s. Each voter is given two votes: one in a single-mandate electoral district, the other in a federal electoral district. Votes are counted separately (for candidates in single-mandate constituencies and for federal lists) according to the methodology defined by the above-mentioned Law.

PROPORTIONAL ELECTORAL SYSTEM- a system of proportional representation of parties and movements in parliament, based on the fact that each party or movement receives a number of mandates in parliament or other representative body proportional to the number of votes cast for their candidates in the elections.

IPR is applied during elections of deputies of the State Duma in a federal electoral district and is used where the number of seats received political party or by a movement, bloc, in proportion to the number of votes cast for federal party lists throughout the country or within one or more multi-member electoral districts into which the state is divided. This system is used in parliamentary elections in Spain, Italy, Germany, Israel and a number of other countries in combination with the majoritarian system or in its pure form. In the Russian Federation, such a system was first used in 1993 during elections of deputies to the State Duma.

In accordance with P.i.s. The distribution of deputy mandates is carried out as follows:

1) the sum of votes cast for federal lists of candidates of electoral associations that received 5% or more of the votes is divided by 225 (the number of deputy mandates distributed in the federal electoral district). The result obtained is the first electoral quotient (in foreign electoral practice this quotient is called an electoral quota);

2) the number of votes received by each federal list of candidates participating in the distribution of deputy mandates is divided by the first electoral quotient. The integer part of the number obtained as a result of division is the number of deputy mandates that the corresponding federal list of candidates receives.

MAJORITY ELECTORAL SYSTEM- a system for determining election results, according to which the candidate who receives the statutory majority of votes is considered elected in the electoral district. M.i.s. is most used in the formation of parliaments.

According to M.I.S. elections were held for half of the deputies of the State Duma of the first and second convocations. When developing a new law on the election of deputies to the State Duma of the third convocation, the President of the Russian Federation insisted that deputies be elected exclusively in single-mandate constituencies. However, the legislator did not agree with this approach, preferring the existing situation. Currently, most subjects of the Russian Federation use M.I.S, while few of them prefer a mixed electoral system. M.i.s. It is also used primarily in elections of representative bodies of local self-government.

Dignity M.i.s. in its effectiveness (elections in all cases end in the victory of one of the candidates), personification, i.e. each deputy is elected in a personal capacity (the voter votes not for a list of candidates, but for a specific candidate), in direct connection between the elected deputy and voters (which makes it possible for the deputy to be elected to next elections). Disadvantages include low representativeness, or representativeness, of the winning deputy, loss of votes from voters who voted for the losing candidate. It turns out that the more candidates are nominated in the elections, the fewer votes the winner needs to get.

There are M.i.s. absolute and relative majority. In addition, the so-called M.i.s. is used. qualified majority.

According to the majoritarian electoral system absolute majority The candidate for whom the absolute number of votes was cast (50% + 1) is considered elected. This system for determining election results is used during the elections of the President of the Russian Federation. In accordance with Federal law dated December 31, 1999 “On the election of the President of the Russian Federation” (Article 72), a candidate for the position of President of the Russian Federation who received more than half of the votes of the voters who took part in the voting is considered elected. The number of voters who took part in the voting is determined by the number of ballot papers found in the ballot boxes. Under a majoritarian electoral system qualified majority To win the election, you need to get a fixed or certain number of votes (25%, 30%, 2/3 of the votes of voters participating in the elections).

Majoritarian electoral system relative majority is a method of voting in which the candidate for whom more votes were cast than each of the candidates competing with him received is considered elected. In accordance with the Federal Law of June 24, 1999 “On the election of deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation” (Article 79), the candidate who received the largest number of votes of voters who took part in the voting is recognized as elected in a single-mandate electoral district. If the number of votes received by the candidates is equal, the candidate registered earlier is considered elected. At M.i.s. absolute and qualified majority voting is carried out in two rounds, and with M.I.S. relative majority - in one round.

Democratic free elections to government bodies and elected bodies of local self-government of the Russian Federation are the highest direct expression of power belonging to the people. The state guarantees the free expression of the will of citizens in elections by protecting democratic principles and norms of electoral law. A citizen of the Russian Federation participates in elections on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot. Participation of a citizen of the Russian Federation in elections is voluntary. No one has the right to influence a citizen of the Russian Federation in order to force him to participate or not participate in elections, as well as to influence his free will. A citizen of the Russian Federation living outside its borders has full voting rights. Diplomatic and consular institutions of the Russian Federation are obliged to provide assistance to a citizen of the Russian Federation in the exercise of electoral rights established by law. A citizen of the Russian Federation who has reached 18 years of age has the right to vote, and upon reaching the age established by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal laws, laws and other regulatory legal acts of legislative (representative) bodies of state power of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, to be elected to government bodies in elective bodies local government. A citizen of the Russian Federation can vote and be elected regardless of gender, race, nationality, language, origin, property and official status, place of residence, attitude to religion, beliefs, or membership in public associations. Citizens declared legally incompetent by a court or citizens held in places of deprivation of liberty by a court sentence do not have the right to elect or be elected. The minimum age of a candidate is 21 years for elections to legislative (representative) bodies of state power of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, 30 years for elections of the head of the executive body. state power (President) of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation and 21 years old when electing the head of local government; the period of compulsory residence in the specified territory is more than one year. Voters participate in elections in the Russian Federation on equal terms. A voter votes directly in elections in the Russian Federation for a candidate (list of candidates). Voting in elections in the Russian Federation is secret, that is, excluding the possibility of any control over the will of the voter. The voter lists include all citizens of the Russian Federation who have active voting rights on voting day. The voter list is compiled by the precinct election commission separately for each polling station based on information submitted in the prescribed form by the head of the local administration. The lists of registered voters are updated by the head of the local administration as of January 1 and July 1 of each year. The specified information is sent to the relevant election commissions immediately after the appointment of the election day. The basis for including a citizen of the Russian Federation in the list of voters at a specific polling station is his residence in the territory of this polling station, determined in accordance with the federal law establishing the right of citizens of the Russian Federation to freedom of movement, choice of place of stay and residence on the territory of the Russian Federation. A citizen of the Russian Federation may be included in the voter list at only one polling station. The grounds and procedure for compiling voter lists are established in the relevant federal laws, laws and other regulatory legal acts legislative (representative) bodies of state power of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. To conduct elections, electoral districts are formed on the basis of data provided by executive bodies of state power and local government bodies. The boundaries of electoral districts and the number of voters in each electoral district are determined by the relevant election commission and approved by the relevant representative body no later than 60 days before election day. Polling stations are formed to conduct voting and count votes. Polling stations are formed by the head of the local administration in agreement with the relevant election commissions, taking into account local and other conditions, in order to create maximum convenience for voters based on no more than 3,000 voters at each station and no later than 45 days before election day. The boundaries of polling stations should not cross the boundaries of electoral districts. In hospitals, sanatoriums, rest homes and other places of temporary stay of voters, in hard-to-reach and remote areas, on ships sailing on election day, and at polar stations, polling stations may be established at the same time, and in exceptional cases - no later than less than five days before election day; such polling stations are included in the electoral districts at the place of their location or at the place of registration of the ship. Military personnel vote at general polling stations. In military units, polling stations may be formed in cases established by federal laws, laws and other regulatory legal acts of legislative (representative) bodies of state power of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation; At the same time, access to the voting premises must be provided to all members of the election commission, observers, candidates and their proxies. Lists of polling stations indicating their boundaries and addresses of precinct election commissions must be published by the relevant election commission in the local press no later than 40 days before election day. Voting in elections in the Russian Federation is held on one of the weekends. Precinct election commissions are required to notify voters about the time and place of voting no later than 20 days before the day of voting through the media. A voter who, for one reason or another, will be absent from his place of residence for one reason or another within 15 days before election day and will not be able to come to the polling station where he is included in the voter list, must be given the opportunity to vote early by filling out a ballot in premises of the district or precinct election commission. The election commission is obliged to ensure the secrecy of voting, exclude the possibility of distortion of the voter's will, ensure the safety of the ballot and take into account the voter's vote when establishing the voting results. Voting is carried out by the voter placing on the ballot paper any sign in the square (squares) relating to the candidate (candidates) or the list of candidates in whose favor the choice was made, or to the position “against all candidates (lists of candidates)”. Each voter votes personally; voting for other persons is not allowed. Ballot papers are issued to voters included in the voter list upon presentation of a passport or other document proving their identity. The precinct election commission is obliged to provide all voters with the opportunity to participate in voting, including persons who, for health reasons or other valid reasons, cannot come to the voting premises. For these purposes, the precinct election commission must have the required number of portable ballot boxes, which is determined by the decision of the district election commission. An application for the opportunity to vote outside the polling station must be confirmed by the voter in writing upon the arrival of members of the precinct election commission. Members of the precinct election commission who travel on applications receive, against signature, ballot papers in a quantity corresponding to the number of applications. The number of voter applications, used and returned ballots is noted in a separate act. Data about voters who voted outside the voting premises are additionally entered into the list. Ballot papers are filled out by the voter in a specially equipped booth or room in which the presence of other persons is not allowed. A voter who is unable to fill out a ballot on his own has the right to use the help of another person who is not a member of the precinct election commission or an observer. The ballot paper must contain the seal of the precinct election commission or the signatures of at least two of its members. The voter confirms receipt of the ballot by signing in the voter list. Voters place completed ballots in ballot boxes, which must be in the field of view of members of the precinct election commission and observers. Votes are counted by voting members of the precinct election commission based on the ballot papers submitted by voters. When counting votes, the precinct election commission shall invalidate ballot papers from which it is impossible to determine the will of voters, as well as ballot papers of an unknown form. In order to eliminate the possibility of falsification of voting results, the counting of votes begins immediately after the end of voting time and is carried out without interruption until the voting results are established, of which all members of the precinct election commission, as well as observers representing candidates, electoral associations, and foreign (international) must be notified. ) observers. Based on the original protocols of precinct, territorial (district, city and other) election commissions, by adding up the data contained therein, the district election commission, in accordance with federal laws, laws and other regulatory legal acts of legislative (representative) bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation, establishes the election results by constituency. Voting members of the district election commission determine the election results in person. A protocol on the election results for the electoral district is drawn up, which is signed by all present voting members of the district election commission. The district election commission recognizes elections as invalid if violations committed during voting or establishing voting results do not allow one to reliably determine the results of the expression of the will of voters. At the request of any member of the district election commission or observer, the district election commission provides them with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the protocol on the election results and make a copy of it in the premises of the district election commission. A copy of the protocol is certified by the district election commission. The establishment of voting results and election results in election commissions of all levels is carried out in the presence of observers representing candidates and electoral associations, as well as foreign (international) observers. When signing the protocol on election results, members of the district election commission who do not agree with the contents of the protocol have the right to draw up a special opinion attached to the protocol. All documentation of election commissions of all levels, including ballot papers, is subject to storage for the periods established by federal laws, laws and other regulatory legal acts of legislative (representative) bodies of state power of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. In this case, the established storage periods for election ballots cannot be less than one year, and protocols of election commissions - less than one year from the date of announcement of the date of the next elections. The voting results for each polling station, the election results for the electoral district in the amount of data contained in the protocol of the relevant election commission and directly lower election commissions must be made available for review to any voter, candidate, observer and representative of the media. http://www.lawpravo.com

The entire electoral process consists of a number of interconnected stages enshrined in legislation. This is, firstly, the compilation of voter lists, which are presented for public review and additional clarification no later than 20 days before the start of the elections.

Secondly, the formation of election commissions, polling stations and constituencies. The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation and the election commissions of the constituent entities of the Federation work on a permanent basis. The Central Election Commission manages the activities of other commissions for elections at the federal level and the holding of a federal referendum, distributes airtime between candidates, manages financial resources allocated from the state budget for the conduct of elections, develops instructions and gives explanations regarding other elections, and also performs other functions. functions directly related to the organization and conduct of elections.

Thirdly, the nomination and registration of candidates for deputies of representative bodies and for elective government positions. Groups of voters (initiative groups) have the right to nominate candidates; electoral associations or blocs of associations; citizens with voting rights (self-nomination and nomination of other citizens); labor collectives and meetings of voters (in elections to local government bodies). Registration of candidates or a list of candidates of an electoral bloc (association) is carried out in the relevant election commissions. To register, it is necessary to collect a certain number of signatures established by law in support of a candidate (list of candidates) or to pay a special electoral deposit. The amount of the deposit and the procedure for its payment are determined by law. In the elections of the President of Russia, the payment of an electoral deposit instead of a list of signatures in support of a candidate for this post is not allowed.

Fourth, pre-election campaigning of candidates, carried out in the form of speeches on radio and television, publications in newspapers and magazines, holding meetings and meetings with voters, processions, rallies and demonstrations, etc. The legal deadline for the start of pre-election campaigning is from the date of registration of the candidate; ends one day before voting day. 3 days before the start of voting, it is prohibited to publish any kind of forecasts, results of sociological surveys, or other research materials related to elections in the media. All expenses associated with the election campaign are reimbursed only from the election fund of the candidate or association. According to the law, every candidate in the election campaign must be given equal conditions.

Fifth, voting and determining the election results. Voting in elections is usually held on a calendar day off. Citizens of Russia vote with ballots at the time specified by law at polling stations. The exception is for sick and disabled people who are unable to independently come to the polling station and for this reason vote at home.

When voting, a certain percentage of voter turnout is established, at which the election is considered valid. The highest percentage of voter turnout is established in elections to the State Duma and in elections of the President of Russia. It constitutes 25 and 50% of the total number of voters, respectively.

The counting of votes cast for a particular candidate is carried out at polling stations by members of the precinct election commission. The voting results are recorded in a protocol, which is submitted to higher election commissions. The final election results are determined depending on which type of electoral system provided for by law (majority or proportional) is used in any given election.