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Election silence starts in Russia before single voting day on September 13

During 24 hours before the start of the main voting day, any campaigning, holding party actions and rallies, distributing leaflets, political advertising on television and radio is prohibited

© Maxim Kimerling/TASS

MOSCOW, September 12. /TASS/. Election silence starts in most Russian regions on the eve of the single voting day. Elections at various levels will be held in 83 regions of Russia on September 13. Election silence starts in every election region at midnight local time on September 12.

During 24 hours before the start of the main voting day, any campaigning, holding party actions and rallies, distributing leaflets, political advertising on television and radio is prohibited. Only previously displayed campaign materials can remain in the same place, provided that they are located no closer than 50 meters from the voting premises. Online publications should not remove previously published political advertisements. Campaigning is also prohibited on the voting day. The ban is valid until the closure of polling stations in each specific region. The law does not limit the media coverage of the preparations for the elections and the course of the single voting day.

Earlier Chairwoman of the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) Ella Pamfilova told TASS, that this year, despite the early voting in most regions on September 11 and 12, it is September 13, which is the single voting day, and according to the law, election campaigning cannot be conducted only on September 12 and 13. According to her, this procedure is valid only this year, and the next elections "will be held taking into account the recently adopted amendments to the law, which allow voting for one, two or three days, and the election silence will be observed before the first day of voting."

On July 24, the CEC approved the procedure for the single voting day, which implies that the primary voting day will take place on September 13, and early voting will be possible on September 11 and 12. Elections of various levels will take place at 83 subjects of the Russian Federation, with over 78,000 mandates involved. For instance, four regions (Tatarstan, the Kursk, Penza, and Yaroslavl Regions) will hold additional vote on State Duma seats (State Duma is the lower house of parliament), 11 regions will vote on local legislature, and 18 regions will vote on new governors. Heads of the Nenets Autonomous Region and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area will be elected by the delegates of regional legislative assemblies.

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