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Ukraine’s sanctions not impacting State Duma elections in Crimea — election commission

As many as 1,131 polling stations are open in Crimea, with 260 of them equipped with electronic ballot boxes, and an additional polling station in Simferopol’s international airport

SIMFEROPOL, September 17. /TASS/. Ukraine’s sanctions against the organizers of Russian parliamentary elections in Crimea will have no impact on the voting process or its results, Mikhail Malyshev, chairman of the regional election commission, told TASS on Friday.

Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council imposed sanctions against the organizers of the voting at Russia’s parliamentary elections in Crimea and in Donbass.

"For the past seven years, representatives of the neighboring country have been speaking about the illegitimacy of elections organized here and have been imposing sanctions. But, as you know, it has not changed the situation concerning the organization of elections, referendums, voting on the constitution. As far as I know, they said today that a criminal case against me is being heard in Ukraine, but sanctions against myself have no impact on the work of the electoral system in Russia and the Republic of Crimea as its part," Malyshev said, adding that the "sanctions will not tell on the election results to be announced on September 19."

As many as 1,131 polling stations are open in Crimea, with 260 of them equipped with electronic ballot boxes, and an additional polling station in Simferopol’s international airport. Thirty-seven additional stations will be opened on Sunday at hospitals and one more in Simferopol’s pre-trial detention center.

Crimea has 1.5 million eligible voters. More than 12,000 people from other Russian regions have been registered for voting in Crimea, mostly in resort cities.

Elections to the 8th Russian State Duma (lower house) are scheduled for September 19, 2021, known as the Single Voting Day. The balloting process will span across three days - September 17, 18, and 19. In addition to the State Duma elections, voters will go to the polls to cast ballots for the heads of nine Russian regions (in another three regions local legislatures will elect top executive officials) and in elections for 39 regional parliaments.

Along with the State Duma elections, voters in Crimea will elect lawmakers in a number of one-seat constituencies in three municipalities.