Statement on the Results of Civic Election Observation

On September 13, 2015, more than ten thousand elections took place in Russia, including the elections of 21 governors, 11 deputies of regional parliaments, and elections of representative bodies of 25 regional capitals. The 2015 local elections are the last full-scale dress rehearsal of the Russian electoral system—in preparing, organizing, and conducting an Election Day—before the upcoming 2016 national elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation.

Representatives of the “Golos” movement conducted public monitoring procedures for voting, counting of votes at polling stations, and tabulation at higher election commissions for elections in 26 regions: Astrakhan, Vladimir, Voronezh, Ivanovo, Irkutsk, Kaliningrad, Kaluga, Kirov, Kostroma, Kurgan, Leningrad, Lipetsk, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Orel, Rostov, Ryazan, Samara, Tver, Tomsk, Chelyabinsk Region, the Republic of Bashkortostan, Mari El, Tatarstan, and Krasnodar regions. “Golos” received additional information from the election regions through other channels as well, including a hotline (8 800 333-33-50), a “Map of Violations” (www.kartanarusheniy.org), and our media partners.

Among the most common violations on Election Day were:restrictions of observers’ rights, the rights of commission members, and the rights of media representatives, as well as violations related to early voting, voting by absentee ballots, voting outside the polling station, forcing people to vote, and violation of vote secrecy. On Election Day, “Golos” reported various instances of such violations in publications, press releases from regional branches, and via the regular video feed of the call center and the press center.

FInd the full report here.