MOSCOW, September 18. /TASS/. Chairperson of Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) Ella Pamfilova has said that about 500,000 observers had applied for work at the elections to the Russian State Duma (lower house).

"Today we have applications from about 500,000 observers. On the average, this is more than five people per one polling station," she said at a briefing at the CEC Information Center on Saturday.

According to Pamfilova, they include observers from parties, single-mandate candidates and civic chambers. "I hope all of them will come to polling stations. Live observation cannot be replaced by anything," she pointed out.

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