Polling stations will be opened in 147 countries for Russians abroad - CEC
MOSCOW. June 28 (Interfax) - Polling stations for the State Duma election in September will be arranged in 147 countries, member of Russia's Central Elections Commission (CEC) Vasily Likhachyov said.
"We are arranging voting in the territories of 147 foreign states for the election of the State Duma of the seventh convocation. The Russian Federation has 235 diplomatic missions and consular offices there. Seventy five single-seat electoral districts have been formed in 34 constituent territories of Russia to effectively conduct this political operation," Likhachyov said at a Tuesday press conference.
He said that this year all district commissions abroad have been attached and assigned to Russian territories.
"Voting takes place there, and then the ballots are sent to the [assigned] Russian regions where they are recorded and tabbed and these figures are redirected to CEC. Take the Republic of Tatarstan - district commissions located in Spain, Austria, Hungary and Finland are assigned to it. Belarus is assigned to the Republic of Chuvashia. Altai territory will carry of great burden as attached to it are district commissions in Australia, Azerbaijan, China, the UAE, Ireland, Egypt, Cuba, Mongolia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Syria, Turkey, Switzerland, Sweden and Japan," Likhachyov said.
"Various problems arise today that have to be resolved. For instance, the formation of polling stations in locations that should be attached to military contingents. Official voting will definitely be arranged in Syria, in South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Tajikistan and Armenia. Our compatriots are also demonstrating interest. Today, people regard the Russian Federation as a world power, as their fatherland, as their country, and not just formally but also very concretely," the CEC official said.
Likhachyov said that presently 1.903,855 people are registered at consulates - these are Russian citizens residing abroad and having voting rights.
"I believe that by the time of the election the figure will double because there will be a big number of tourists. Such a category as young people is quite dynamic. We at CEC are even developing such a methodology that every person who for some reason is staying aboard - for educational reasons or on travel - would be able to visit a Russian consulate or embassy and vote there. Even if a person has forgotten to take an absentee voter certificate, he could write an application to the ambassador and be given the right to go to the polling box and cast his ballot," he said.