CEC approves seating rules for journalists and observers at polling stations

The Central Election Commission (CEC) at a meeting on July 20 adopted a resolution on the requirements for determining special places at polling stations for observers and media representatives. Previously, they could be located anywhere in the polling station, but in May the State Duma approved a new rule, according to which voting premises must be equipped with places for the media and observers, and the requirements for such places are determined by the CEC.

Elmira Khaimurzina, a member of the commission, explained that sometimes there are disputes at the polling stations about where to accommodate journalists and why they are not allowed to walk everywhere. The approved requirements define these places in such a way that, on the one hand, observers and journalists have a good overview, and on the other hand, the secrecy of voting and the confidentiality of personal data in the documents that are on the site are not violated, Ms. Khaimurzina noted. According to the document, journalists and observers should see the actions of members of the election commission during the counting of votes, ballot boxes and KOIBs, an enlarged form of protocols, and also be able to inspect safe packages. Places for photo and video filming and the time when you can shoot will be determined by the leadership of the precinct commissions. Schemes of premises for voting, taking into account places for the media and observers, the election commissions must approve by their decisions.

During the discussion, CEC member Yevgeny Kolyushin asked if journalists and observers would be able to move around the premises, taking into account the new requirements, or would they have to stay in their places all the time. Elmira Khaymurzina replied that no one forbids “getting up and going around smoking”, but it is wrong to move randomly around the site. “There is no need to stand at the ballot box, hover over members of the commission, and so on,” said Ella Pamfilova, chairman of the Central Election Commission. Nevertheless, Mr. Kolyushin proposed to amend the document on the “free movement” of the polling station for journalists and observers. “You can’t be free! – retorted Mrs. Pamfilova. – If we want to disorganize the work of the commission, let’s write another “sit on your head”, sorry.” It is important to respect the rights of journalists and observers and not to put them behind 15 meters so that they do not see anything, but to move freely is superfluous, she concluded. As a result, the seating requirements for the media and observers were approved in their original form by a majority of votes, only Mr. Kolyushin abstained.

Elena Rozhkova