§ Article 23(untitled)

rocedure of Formation and Powers of Election Commissions of the Subjects
of the Russian Federation

 1. Election commissions of subjects of the Russian Federation are the state bodies of
subjects of the Russian Federation that organize preparation and conduct of elections,
referenda of the Russian Federation within the scope of their competence established by this
Federal Law, other federal laws, and laws of the subjects of the Russian Federation.

 2. Election commissions of the subjects of the Russian Federation act on a permanent
basis and are the legal entities.

 3. The term of powers of election commissions of the subjects of the Russian
Federation shall be five years. If the term of powers of the election commission of the subject of
the Russian Federation expires during an election campaign, during the period from the day
when referendum this commission participates in called and till the end of referendum
campaign, its term of powers is extended till the end of this election campaign, referendum
campaign. This provision is not applied during conduct of repeat and by-elections of deputies of
the legislative (representative) body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation. *
(as amended by the Federal Law of June 4, 2010, No.117-FZ)
____________
* In accordance with Article 2 of the Federal Law of June 4, 2010, No.117-FZ “On Amendments
to the Federal Law “On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the
Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum” in connection to change of terms of powers
of election commissions”, provisions of Clause 3, Article 21 of the Federal Law of June 12,
2002, No.67-FZ “On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the
Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum” (as amended by this Federal Law), related
to terms of powers of election commissions, shall be applied with relation to corresponding
election commissions formed after this Federal Law came into force.
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 4. The number of voting members of the election commission of the subject of the
Russian Federation shall be set by the constitution (statute), the law of the subject of the
Russian Federation and shall not be smaller than 10 and greater than 14.

 5. The election commission of the subject of the Russian Federation shall be formed by
the legislative (representative) body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation and
the higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation (the head of the high executive body
of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation) on the basis of proposals referred to in
Clause 1, Article 22 of this Federal Law and proposals made by representative bodies of
municipal formations, election commission of the subject of the Russian Federation of the
previous convocation, and the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.
(as amended by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ)

 6. One half of the members of the election commission of the subject of the Russian
Federation shall be appointed by the legislative (representative) body of state power of the
subject of the Russian Federation, the other half - by the higher official of the subject of the
Russian Federation (the head of the high executive body of state power of the subject of the
Russian Federation).

 7. Both the legislative (representative) body of state power of the subject of the Russian
Federation and the higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation (the head of the high
executive body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation) shall appoint at least a
half of the total number of members of the election commission of the subject of the Russian
Federation, appointed by them, on the basis of nominations made by:
 а) political parties that nominated federal lists of candidates admitted to distribution of
deputy seats in the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and
political parties that nominated federal lists of candidates that received deputy seats in
accordance with Article 821 of the Federal Law “On Election of Deputies of the State Duma of
the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation”;
(as amended by the Federal Laws of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ, of May 12, 2009, No.94-FZ)
 b) political parties that nominated lists of candidates admitted to distribution of deputy
seats in the legislative (representative) body of state power of the subject of the Russian
Federation, and political parties that nominated lists of candidates that received deputy seats in
accordance with the law of the subject of the Russian Federation stipulated by Clause 17,
Article 35 of this Federal Law.
(as amended by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ, of April 22, 2010, No.63-FZ)

 8. Ceased to be in force. – The Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ

 9. Both the legislative (representative) body of state power of the subject of the Russian
Federation and the higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation (the head of the high
executive body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation) shall appoint at least
one member of the election commission of the subject of the Russian Federation on the basis
of proposals received from the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.

 10. The election commission of the subject of the Russian Federation shall:
 а) exercise control in the territory of the subject of the Russian Federation over the
observance of the electoral rights of citizens of the Russian Federation and the right of citizens
to participate in a referendum;
 b) organize placement of orders for manufacturing of standard technological
equipment (ballot booths, ballot boxes) for precinct commissions, including by request of the
Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation during elections to federal bodies of
state power, referendum of the Russian Federation; exercise control in the territory of the
subject of the Russian Federation over the observance of the procedure of use of technological
equipment for precinct commissions;
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(Paragraph “b” as amended by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ)
 c) ensure implementation in the territory of the subject of the Russian Federation of
measures related to preparation and conduct of elections, referenda, improvement of the
electoral system in the Russian Federation; introduction, operation, and improvement of means
of automation, legal education of voters, professional training of commission members, and
other individuals engaged in organization of elections, referenda, publication of required printed
materials;
 d) ensure implementation in the territory of the subject of the Russian Federation, of
measures aimed at organizing of a uniform procedure for allocation of air time and space in
print media between registered candidates, election associations for purposes of election
campaigning, between referendum initiative group and other groups of referendum participants
for the purposes of campaigning on questions of the referendum, establishment of the voting
results and results of elections, referenda, as well as the procedure of publication of voting
results and results of election, referenda;
(as amended by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ)
 e) ensure implementation in the territory of the subject of the Russian Federation, of
measures aimed at organizing of allocation of funds for preparation and conduct of elections to
bodies of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation, referenda of the subject of the
Russian Federation; distribute the funds allocated from the federal budget, the budget of the
subject of the Russian Federation as financial support for preparation and conduct of elections,
referenda; exercise control over the target use of the above funds;
 f) approve the list of territorial commissions;
 g) provide legal, methodological, organizational, and technical support to subordinate
commissions;
 h) hear reports of bodies of executive power of the subject of the Russian Federation
and bodies of local self-government on issues related to preparation and conduct of elections to
bodies of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation, bodies of local self-government,
and referendums of the subject of the Russian Federation, local referendums;
 i) on instructions of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, set
standards in accordance with which lists of voters, referendum participants and other election
documents are produced, as well as documents related to preparation and conduct of
referendum;
 j) consider complaints (appeals) related to decisions and actions (inaction) of
subordinate commissions and take reasoned decisions on these complaints (appeals);
 k) participate in organization of the state system of registration (account) of voters,
referendum participants, and in implementation of this registration (account), formation and
maintenance of registry of voters, referendum participants;
(as amended by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ)
 k1) participate in implementation of check of consolidated financial reports and data on
receipt and expenditure of the funds of political parties, control over sources and volume of
property, received by political parties in the form of entry and member fees, donations of
citizens and legal entities, informing citizens on results of these checks;
(Paragraph “k1” introduced by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ)
 k2) provides at request of election commission of municipal formation data on the
number of disabled voters, referendum participants in corresponding territory with indication of
disability groups;
(Paragraph “k2” introduced by the Federal Law of June 14, 2011, No.143-FZ)
 l) exercise other powers in accordance with this Federal Law, other federal laws, the
constitution (statute) of the subject of the Russian Federation.

 11. The election commission of the subject of the Russian Federation shall consider
complaints related to decisions and actions (inaction) of election commissions of municipal
formation districts, urban districts, city territories of the federal cities and their officials that
violate electoral rights of citizens the right of citizens to participate in a referendum during
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election to bodies of local self-government, local referenda, in accordance with Clause 7, Article
75 of this Federal Law.
(as amended by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ).

 12. The election commission of the subject of the Russian Federation may have its
official printed bulletin.