1. The procedure for printing and delivery of ballots and the procedure for control over printing and delivery thereof shall be approved by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation not later than 32 days before voting day. The number of ballots shall not exceed the number of registered voters by more than 1.5 percent.
(clause 1 as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)
2. The form and the Russian text of a ballot shall be approved by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation not later than 24 days before voting day. The text shall be printed only on one side of a ballot. In case a second round of voting is held, the text of the ballot and the quantity of the ballots shall be established by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation when the decision to hold the repeat voting is made.
(as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)
2.1. For the purpose of providing assistance to voters with sight disabilities special templates (including Braille script) shall be made, based on resolution of the relevant election commission. Election districts for which such templates are to be made shall be determined by resolution of the election commission of a relevant subject of the Russian Federation.
(clause 2.1 introduced by Federal Law No. 143-FZ of June 14, 2011)
3. For the purpose of protection of ballots from falsification, the same shall be produced with the use of paper with watermarks, or an inscription made in microfont by printing shop, or a protective grid, or a special sign (mark). The procedure for printing and using special signs (marks), quantity and requirements to the transfer of special signs (marks) by superior election commissions shall be approved by the Central Election Commission of the Russian
Federation not later than 60 days before voting day.
(clause 3 as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)
4. The surnames of registered candidates shall be arranged in the ballot in the alphabetical order; the ballot shall indicate the following information about each registered candidate:
1) surname, first name and patronymic name;
2) year of birth;
3) name of the subject of the Russian Federation, district, city, other settlement where the candidate's place of residence is located;
(sub-clause 3 as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)
4) primary place of work or service, position (occupation if there is no main place of work or service). If a candidate is a deputy and exercises his powers on a non-permanent basis, this fact and the name of the representative body;
5) if a candidate is put forward by a political party, the words “put forward by the political party” specifying the name of the relevant political party;
(as amended by Federal Laws No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005, No. 64-FZ of April 26, 2007)
6) if a candidate nominated his candidature himself, the word “self-nominated”;
7) lost effect — Federal Law No. 3-FZ dated February 9, 2009;
8) if a candidate points out his membership in a political party or any other public association in accordance withclause 8 of Article 34 and sub-clause 1 of clause 11 of this Federal Law, short name of this political party or public association and the candidate's status in this political party or public association.
(sub-clause 8 introduced by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)
5. A blank box shall be placed to the right of the data of each registered candidate.
(as amended by Federal Law No. 107-FZ of July 12, 2006)
5.1. If, in accordance with clause 5 of Article 77 of this Federal Law, there is only one candidate to vote for or against, options of voters’ will “For” and “Against” shall be place below the data of the registered candidate, with blank boxes to the right thereof.
(clause 5.1 introduced by Federal Law No. 107-FZ of July 12, 2006)
6. If a registered candidate has a conviction that has not expired or has not been cancelled, the ballot shall indicate this fact (which shall be included therein on the basis of relevant documents submitted to the election commission before the approval of the ballot’s text).
(as amended by Federal Law No. 128-FZ dated July 25, 2006, No. 64-FZ dated April 26, 2007)
7. Each ballot shall contain instructions for marking the ballot.
8. Ballots shall be printed in the Russian language. By resoltuion of the election commission of a subject of the Russian Federation, ballots may be printed in the Russian language and in the official language of the relevant subject of the Russian Federation, and, where necessary, in the language of peoples of the Russian Federation on the territories where they are concentrated. If ballots for a voting precinct are printed in two or more languages, the text in the Russian language shall be printed on each ballot. The text of such ballot in the official language of the subject of the Russian Federation and in the language of peoples of the Russian Federation shall be approved by the election commission of the subject of the Russian Federation not later than 22 days before voting day.
(as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)
9. The number of ballots shall be determined by resolution of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation at least 24 days before voting day. Ballots shall be made in two stages:
1) for the purpose of early voting and voting at precincts established outside the territory of the Russian Federation — at least 20 days before voting day. In this case ballots for early voting shall be made by resolution of relevant election commissions of subjects of the Russian Federation in quantity determined by such commissions within the limits set forth for the number of ballots for relevant subjects of the Russian Federation by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation and ballots for voting at precincts established outside the territory of the Russian Federation — by resolution of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation in quantity determined thereby;
2) for the purpose of voting on voting day — at least 10 days prior to voting day by resolution of election commissions of subjects of the Russian Federation in quantity determined by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation for relevant subjects of the Russian Federation, minus ballots which had been made earlier for the purpose of early voting and voting at precincts established outside the territory of the Russian Federation.
(clause 9 as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)
10. Ballots printed by a printing organization shall be transferred, against a transfer report, to members of the election commission which placed an order for printing these ballots. Such transfer report shall specify the date and time when it was drawn up and quantity of ballots being transferred. After the ballots packed in bundles have been transferred in the quantity indicated in the order the printing organization employees shall destroy surplus ballots (if any) and shall execute a report to this effect. The election commission which placed an order for printing ballots shall make a decision on the time and place where the ballots are to be transferred to members of this relevant election commission or destroyed. Any member of the relevant election commission, registered candidate (his representative) may sign reports described in this clause.
(clause 10 as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)
11. The transfer of ballots to territorial election commissions shall be carried out within the period determined by resolution of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. Superior election commissions shall transfer all ballots received by them from printing organizations to territorial election commissions on the basis of their resolution on distribution of ballots by territorial election commissions. Based on resolution of a territorial election commission on distribution of ballots precinct election commissions shall receive ballots from the territorial election commission at least one day before the voting (early voting) day. For each voting precinct the number of ballots to be delivered to the precinct election commission may not be less than 70 percent of the number of voters included in the voters lists of the relevant voting precinct as of the day of the delivery of ballots and may not exceed this number by more than 0.5 percent (at least two ballots). The quantity of ballots at a voting precinct where many absentee voters are expected may be increased by resolution of the election commission of the subject of the Russian Federation. Precinct election commissions created at voting precincts outside the territory of the Russian Federation or territorial election commissions formed in accordance with clause 3 of Article 14 of this Federal Law may be supplied with ballots directly by the election commission which placed an order for their printing, in accordance with the procedure established by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, in the quantity determined on the basis of the data of recording (registration) of voters or referendum participants. Once ballots have been transferred to a precinct election commission, the ballots shall be counted one by one with separation of defected ballots after which members of the territorial election commission shall destroy such defected ballots (if any) and execute a report to this effect.(clause 11 as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)
12. On the face of all ballots received by a precinct election commission, at the upper right corner, signatures of two members of the precinct election commission with the right of casting vote shall be placed and certified with the precinct election commission’s seal. Uncertified ballots shall be deemed unqualified and shall not be taken into account when counting votes.
(as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)
13. The transfer of ballots by a superior election commission to a subordinated election commission shall be carried out with execution of a report in two copies. This report shall specify the date and time when it was drawn up and quantity of ballots being transferred. The transfer of ballots from a superior to a subordinated election commission as well as the process of separation of defected ballots and destruction thereof (if applicable) may be observed by members of these election commissions and registered candidates included in the ballot who expressed their wish to do so. The relevant election commission shall notify all its members and specified registered candidates of the time and place of transfer the ballots and allow at least one representative of each registered candidate to be present at the relevant transfer. Each of the above persons may sign reports executed when transferring ballots and separating and destroying defective ballots (if applicable).
(as amended by Federal Laws No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005, No. 64-FZ of April 26, 2007)
14. Responsibility for the delivery and security of ballots shall be borne by chairmen of election commissions which deliver, receive and keep ballots.
15. In the event of withdrawal or cancellation of registration of candidates after the ballots have been printed, territorial and precinct election commissions shall, on the instruction of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, cross out the data of these registered candidates in ballots. If data of a registered candidate indicated in printed ballots has to be changed or supplemented, members of a territorial election commission, precinct election commission may, by resolution of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, amend or supplement the ballots by hand or with the use of technical facilities
(as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)
16. If a candidate has been registered less than ten days before voting day, the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation may pass a resolution to include the data of the registered candidate in the printed ballots by hand or with the use of technical facilities.
(as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)
17. In exceptional cases, in voting precincts formed in remote and hard-to-reach areas, on ships at sea on voting day, at polar stations, in voting precincts established outside the territory of the Russian Federation electoral documentation, including ballots, may be printed by the precinct election commission itself, if the necessary technical facilities are available. A resolution to print the electoral documentation, indicating the necessary quantity of ballots and the period for their printing shall be passed by this precinct election commission upon agreement with the relevant territorial election commission or the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.
18. On voting day, after the end of voting, unused ballots remaining in the territorial election commission shall be counted and cancelled with execution of a report evidencing this fact by the relevant election commission. Cancellation of ballots may be watched by the persons mentioned in clause 5 of Article 23 of this Federal Law. These ballots shall be kept sealed by the secretary of the relevant election commissions together with other documentation of the election commission.
(as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)
19. In case a second round of voting is held, the periods mentioned in this Article may be reduced by resolution of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, but not more than three times. Provisions of Article 68 as amended by Federal Law No. 263-FZ of October 4, 2010 shall apply to legal relations arising with respect to holding elections and referenda appointed after the said Federal Law (part 4 of Article 6 of Federal Law No. 263-FZ dated October 4, 2010) has come into force.
