The State Duma adopted amendments to the electoral legislation in the second reading

The State Duma adopted in the second key reading changes to the electoral legislation (amendments to the law on presidential elections and to the law on basic guarantees of citizens’ electoral rights). They are being introduced ahead of the upcoming presidential elections, which are due to be called by the Federation Council (SF) in December.

The third reading of the bills will take place on October 25, after which the law will have to be considered by the Federation Council and then signed by the president.

State Duma deputy Dmitry Vyatkin (United Russia) said at the plenary meeting that by the second reading, 11 amendments were made to the bill amending the law on presidential elections, ten of which were up for adoption.

Deputy Sergei Obukhov (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) asked for a separate vote to submit his amendment. He suggested from Art. 67 (“Ballot”), delete the wording related to remote electronic voting (DEV). Obukhov recalled that the Communist Party of the Russian Federation is a principled opponent of the DEG, since “it is a banana box with flashing lights.”

Vyatkin stated that the amendment does not in any way affect the conduct of the DEG, so the committee recommended its rejection.

To the bill, which amends the law on fundamental voting rights of citizens, 14 amendments were prepared and recommended for adoption, Vyatkin said. Deputies also supported this bill with a majority of votes.

A bill amending the law on presidential elections was submitted to the State Duma on October 5 by a group of deputies and senators led by the Chairman of the State Duma Committee on State Construction Pavel Krasheninnikov and the Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation Andrei Klishas. It was adopted in the first reading on October 17.

The second part of the amendments to the electoral legislation appeared on October 23 in the form of amendments to the second reading of the bill of the parliament of Kabardino-Balkaria.

These amendments allow presidential elections to be held if martial law is introduced in the territory of any region, and also clarify the provisions of the law on basic guarantees that provide such an opportunity at different levels of elections – the corresponding law was signed in May 2023. The deputies also provided the procedure for holding elections if martial law is introduced after the elections have been called.