Article 37. Collection of Signatures in Support of Nomination of Candidates, Lists of Candidates, Referendum Initiative
1. In accordance with the procedure established by law, signatures of voters, referendum participants may be collected in support of nomination of candidates, lists of candidates, a referendum initiative. The number of signatures required for registration of candidates, lists of candidates shall be established by law and shall not exceed two percent of the number of voters registered on the territory of the electoral district in accordance with Clause 4, Article 16 of this Federal Law. The number of signatures required to be collected in support of an initiative to hold a referendum of a subject of the Russian Federation shall be established by law and shall not exceed two percent of the number of referendum participants registered on the territory of the referendum in accordance with Clause 4, Article 16 of this Federal Law, and in support of an initiative to hold a local referendum, five percent of the number of referendum participants registered on the territory of the referendum in accordance with Clause 4, Article 16 of this Federal Law.
2. The number of signatures required by law for registration of candidates in a multi-seat electoral district shall not exceed two percent of the number of voters registered on the territory of the relevant electoral district divided by the number of deputy seats.
3. The quotas for collection of voter signatures on the territory of one subject of the Russian Federation at elections of federal bodies of state power may be established by the federal laws.
4. No quotas shall be established for the collection of signatures of voters, referendum participants at an election of bodies of state power of subjects of the Russian Federation, bodies of local self-government, a referendum of a subject of the Russian Federation, a local referendum for a part of the territory of the subject of the Russian Federation, a part of the territory of the municipality.
5. Signatures may be collected starting on the day following the day when the commission received a notice about nomination of a candidate, a list of candidates was certified, a referendum initiative group was registered. The signature sheets shall be printed for the account of the relevant electoral funds, referendum funds. The period established by the law of a subject of the Russian Federation for collection of signatures of referendum participants in support of an initiative to hold a referendum of the subject of the Russian Federation shall be at least 30 days, in support of an initiative to hold a local referendum, at least 20 days.
6. Signatures may be collected only among voters who are entitled to an active electoral right in the electoral district in which a candidate gives consent to nomination, or among referendum participants who are entitled to participate in a relevant referendum. Bodies of state power, bodies of local self-government, governing bodies of organizations of any form of ownership, institutions, voting members of election commission shall not participate in signature collection. In the course of signature collection it shall be prohibited to compel voters to put their signatures or to remunerate them in any form for doing so and collect signatures at work places, when and where wages, pensions, allowances, stipends, other social benefits are paid.
7. A legally capable citizen of the Russian Federation who has attained to the age of 18 years by the time of signature collection shall be entitled to collect signatures of voters, referendum participants. A candidate, an electoral association, an electoral bloc, an authorized representative of the referendum initiative group may enter a contract for signature collection with a person collecting signatures of voters, referendum participants. Remuneration for such work shall be paid only through the electoral funds of the candidate, electoral association, electoral bloc, through the referendum funds established by the referendum initiative group.
8. The form of a signature sheet shall be determined by law. A voter, referendum participant shall put on the signature sheet his signature and the date of signing, and indicate his surname, first name and patronymic, year of birth (at the age of 18, also the day and month of birth), series and number of the passport or equivalent identity paper, and the address of the place of residence as stated in the passport or equivalent identity document. The data on voters, referendum participants who put their signatures and write the dates of signing on the signature sheet may be entered in the signature sheet, at the request of a voter, referendum participant, by the person collecting signatures in support of the candidate, list of candidates. All such data shall be written by hand. A voter, referendum participant shall put his signature and write the date of signing with his own hand.
9. If a candidate has a conviction, this information must be indicated on the signature sheet. The signature sheet shall also contain information about possession by the candidate of a foreign citizenship specifying the name of the relevant state.
