Russian CEC approves presidential election ballot text

MOSCOW. Feb 9 (Interfax) - The Russian Central Elections Commission (CEC) has approved the text of the ballot for the upcoming presidential election, the names of the four registered candidates will go in alphabetical order.

The CEC adopted the corresponding resolution at a meeting on Friday.

The registration of presidential candidates ended on February 8, CEC deputy head Nikolai Bulayev said, adding that four candidates were registered in all.

"The names of the registered candidates will go in alphabetical order on the ballot," Bulayev said at the meeting.

The ballot contains brief information about candidates, each of whom gets equal space, he said.

Election commissions will print over 113 million ballots, the CEC said.

CEC Chair Ella Pamfilova said on February 8 there would be four candidates on the ballot.

The CEC has registered four presidential candidates, including Liberal Democratic Party leader Leonid Slutsky, State Duma Deputy Speaker, New People party member Vladislav Davankov, and State Duma member, Communist Party faction member Nikolai Kharitonov. President Vladimir Putin was registered as a self-nominee on January 29.

The Russian presidential election will be held over three days, from March 15 to 17.