Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation

Chapter I. GENERAL

Article 1. Basic Principles of the Conduct of the Election of the President of the Russian Federation

1. The President of the Russian Federation shall be elected by the citizens of the Russian Federation on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot.

2. Participation of a citizen of the Russian Federation in the election of the President of the Russian Federation shall be free and voluntary. Nobody shall exert any influence on a citizen of the Russian Federation in order to compel him to participate or not to participate in the election of the President of the Russian Federation and nobody shall interfere with free expression of a citizen's will.

Article 2. Legislation on the Election of the President of the Russian Federation

1. The legislation on the election of the President of the Russian Federation is formed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Federal Law No. 67-FZ of June 12, 2002 "On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum" ("Federal Law 'On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum'"), this Federal Law, other federal laws.

2. The main concepts and terms used in this Federal Law have the same meaning as in the Federal Law "On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum," unless otherwise provided by this Federal Law.

Article 3. Electoral Rights of Citizens of the Russian Federation in the Election of the President of the Russian Federation

1. A citizen of the Russian Federation who has attained to the age of 18 years as of voting day shall be entitled to elect the President of the Russian Federation, participate in the nomination of candidates for the office of President of the Russian Federation, participate in the election campaigning, in monitoring of the conduct of the election of the President of the Russian Federation and the work of election commissions, including determination of vote returns and election results, and in the performance of other electoral actions, in accordance with the procedure established by this Federal Law, other federal laws.

2. Eligible to the office of President of the Russian Federation shall be a citizen of the Russian Federation who is not younger than 35 years of age and has permanently resided in the Russian Federation for not less than 10 years.

3. A citizen of the Russian Federation who resides or stays outside the territory of the Russian Federation during the preparation and conduct of the election of the President of the Russian Federation shall have the same rights in the election of the President of the Russian Federation as other citizens of the Russian Federation.

4. A citizen of the Russian Federation pronounced legally incapable by a court or kept in places of confinement under a court sentence shall have no right to elect or be elected President of the Russian Federation.

5. A citizen of the Russian Federation who occupies the office of President of the Russian Federation for a second consecutive term as of the day of the official publication of the decision to call the election of the President of the Russian Federation shall have no right to be elected President of the Russian Federation.

5.1. A citizen of the Russian Federation shall not be entitled to be elected President of the Russian Federation if he has citizenship of a foreign state or a residence permit or another document confirming his right to permanent residence on the territory of a foreign state.

(Clause 4.1 was added by Federal Law No. 128-FZ of July 25, 2006)

5.2. A citizen of the Russian Federation shall not be entitled to be elected President of the Russian Federation:

1) if he has been convicted for commission of a grave and/or especially grave crime and his record of conviction for this crime remains unexpunged and unexpired as of voting day;

2) if he has been convicted for commission of an extremist crime under the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and his record of conviction for this crime remains unexpunged and unexpired as of voting day;

3) if an administrative penalty has been imposed on him for commission of an administrative offence under Articles 20.3 and 20.29 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation, provided that voting in the election of the President of the Russian Federation is to be held before expiration of the period during which this person is considered to be under the administrative penalty;

(as amended by Federal Law No. 211-FZ of July 24, 2007)

The provisions of Sub–Clause 4, Clause 5.2, Article 3 as amended by Federal Law No. 64-FZ of April 26, 2007 shall apply only in connection with actions of citizens and activity of political parties carried out after December 7, 2006.

4) if a legally effective court decision establishes that he has violated the restrictions imposed by Clause 1, Article 56 of the Federal Law "On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum" or has committed the acts mentioned in Sub-Clause “g” of Clause 7 and Sub-Clause “g” of Clause 8, Article 76 of the Federal Law "On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum," provided that such violations or acts were committed within a period which does not exceed four years before voting day.

(Clause 5.2 was added by Federal Law No. 64-FZ of April 26, 2007)

6. A citizen of the Russian Federation deprived of the right to hold state offices for a definite period by a legally effective court sentence, if such punishment is provided for by the federal law, shall not be registered as a candidate for the office of President of the Russian Federation if voting in the election of the President of the Russian Federation is to be held before expiration of the period established by the court.

Article 4. Federal Electoral District

The election of the President of the Russian Federation shall be conducted in one federal electoral district comprising the entire territory of the Russian Federation. Voters residing outside the territory of the Russian Federation shall be regarded as being included the federal electoral district.

Article 5. Calling of the Election of the President of the Russian Federation

1. Holding of the election of the President of the Russian Federation within the period established by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and this Federal Law shall be mandatory.

2. Under the Constitution of the Russian Federation the election of the President of the Russian Federation shall be called by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. The decision to call the election shall be taken not earlier than 100 days and not later than 90 days before voting day. Voting day in the election of the President of the Russian Federation shall be the second Sunday of the month in which voting was conducted in the previous general election of the President of the Russian Federation and in which the President of the Russian Federation was elected four years before. The decision to call the election shall be officially published in the mass media not later than five days after it was taken.

3. If the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation does not call the election of the President of the Russian Federation in accordance with Clause 2 of this article, the election shall be called by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation and held on the second Sunday of the month in which voting was conducted in the previous general election of the President of the Russian Federation. The decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation to call the election shall be published not later than seven days after the deadline set by Clause 2 of this article for the official publication of the decision to call the election.

(as amended by Federal Law No. 93–FZ of July 21, 2005)

4. If the President of the Russian Federation ceases to exercise his powers before expiration of the constitutional term in cases and in accordance with the procedure provided for by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation shall, within 14 days of such cessation of the exercise of the powers, call an early election of the President of the Russian Federation. In this case, voting day shall be the last Sunday before the last day of three months elapsing from the day on which the President of the Russian Federation ceased to exercise his powers before expiration of their term. The decision to call an early election shall be officially published in the mass media not later than five days after it was taken.

5. If the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation does not call the election of the President of the Russian Federation in pursuance of Clause 4 of this article, the election of the President of the Russian Federation shall be called by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation and held on the last Sunday before the day on which three months expire from the day of the early cessation of the exercise of his powers by the President of the Russian Federation. The decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation to call an early election shall be published not later than seven days after the deadline set by Clause 4 of this article for the official publication of the decision to call an early election.

(as amended by Federal Law No. 93–FZ of July 21, 2005

6. In the cases provided for in Clauses 3, 4 and 5 of this article the periods for the performance of electoral actions established by this Federal Law shall be reduced by one-fourth. Such periods expressed in days shall be multiplied by three-fourths and rounded to the nearest whole number; if the multiplication produces a number with a fractional part equal to a half of the whole number, such number shall be rounded up.

(Clause 6 as amended by Federal Law No. 93–FZ of July 21, 2005)

7. If the Sunday on which the election of the President of the Russian Federation is to be held coincides with a day preceding a holiday or a holiday or a day following a holiday, or if this Sunday has been declared a working day in accordance with the established procedure, the election shall be held on the preceding Sunday.

(as amended by Federal Law No. 93–FZ of July 21, 2005)

8. If a state of emergency or martial law was imposed on the entire territory of the Russian Federation during the period when the bodies mentioned in Clauses 2 to 5 of this article are to take a decision to call the election of the President of the Russian Federation, voting day in the election of the President of the Russian Federation shall be the first or second Sunday after three months elapse from the day on which the state of emergency or martial law is lifted.

Article 6. Right to Nominate Candidates for the Office of President of the Russian Federation

1. Candidates for the office of President of the Russian Federation ("candidates") may be nominated by the political parties entitled by Federal Law No. 95–FZ of July 11, 2001 "On Political Parties" ("Federal Law 'On Political Parties'") to take part in elections and nominate candidates ("political parties") and also by way of self–nomination. Citizens of the Russian Federation may nominate themselves on the condition that their self–nomination is supported by a group of voters.

(as amended by Federal Law No. 93–FZ of July 21, 2005)

2. A citizen of the Russian Federation shall not be nominated as a candidate if he is not eligible to the office of President of the Russian Federation.

3. A citizen of the Russian Federation who occupied the office of President of the Russian Federation and ceased to exercise the powers of the President of the Russian Federation before expiration of their term in the event of resignation, ability to discharge his duties because of persistent health problems or impeachment shall not be nominated as a candidate in the election called in consequence of early termination of his powers.

Article 7. Preparation and Conduct of the Election of the President of the Russian Federation by Election Commissions

1. The preparation and conduct of the election of the President of the Russian Federation, the measures to assure the exercise and protection of the electoral rights of citizens and the control over observance of these rights shall be carried out by election commissions within the scope of their powers laid down by this Federal Law, other federal laws.

2. During the preparation and conduct of the election of the President of the Russian Federation election commissions shall, within the scope of their competence laid down by this Federal Law, other federal laws, be independent of the bodies of state power and bodies of local self-government. Any interference in the activities of election commissions on the part of legislative (representative) and executive bodies of state power, bodies of local self-government, other bodies and organizations, officials, other citizens shall not be allowed.

3. The regulations and other decisions of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation and also the decisions of other election commissions adopted by them within the scope of their competence laid down by this Federal Law, other federal laws shall be binding upon the federal bodies of executive power, bodies of executive power of the subjects of the Russian Federation, other state bodies, bodies of local self-government, candidates, political parties and other public associations, organizations, officials and voters.

(Clause 3 as amended by Federal Law No. 93–FZ of July 21, 2005)

4. When preparing and conducting the election of the President of the Russian Federation use shall be made of the state automated system of the Russian Federation “Vybory” (SAS "Vybory”). The rules for the use of SAS “Vybory” shall be established by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation in accordance with Federal Law No. 20-FZ of January 10, 2003 “On the State Automated System of the Russian Federation “Vybory” (“Federal Law ‘On the State Automated System of the Russian Federation ‘Vybory’”).

Article 8. Right to Election Campaigning

1. Citizens of the Russian Federation, political parties, other public associations may conduct election campaigning in any form allowed by the law, using lawful methods.

(as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)

2. In this Federal Law election campaigning means the activities which are carried out during an election campaign in the election of the President of the Russian Federation and are aimed to encourage or are encouraging voters to vote for or against any candidate (candidates).

(as amended by Federal Law No. 107-FZ of July 12, 2006)

3. The state shall assure the freedom of election campaigning for citizens of the Russian Federation, political parties, other public associations under this Federal Law, other federal laws.

4. Equal conditions of access to the mass media shall be guaranteed for registered candidates to conduct election campaigning.

Article 9. Funding of the Election of the President of the Russian Federation

1. Funding for the activities connected with the preparation and conduct of the election of the President of the Russian Federation shall be provided from the federal budget.

(Clause 1 as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)

2. Candidates shall be obliged to form their own electoral funds to finance their election campaign.

Article 10. Transparency of the Preparation and Conduct of the Election of the President of the Russian Federation

1. The preparation and conduct of the election of the President of the Russian Federation shall be open and transparent.

2. The regulations of bodies of state power and bodies of local self-government, regulations of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation relating to the preparation and conduct of the election of the President of the Russian Federation and the assurance of the electoral rights of citizens shall be officially published in state and municipal print media. Other decisions of these bodies, decisions of other election commissions directly relating to the preparation and conduct of the election shall be also published in the said print media or shall be made public in other ways.

(Clause 2 as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)

Article 11. Participation of Foreign Nationals, Stateless Persons, Foreign Organizations, International Organizations and International Public Movements in the Election of the President of the Russian Federation

(as amended by Federal Law No. 93-FZ of July 21, 2005)

1. Foreign nationals, stateless persons, foreign organizations, international organizations and international public movements shall not be allowed to engage in any activities which help or impede the preparation and conduct the election of the President of the Russian Federation, the nomination, registration and election of candidates.

2. The rules for the participation of foreign (international) observers in monitoring the preparation and conduct of the election of the President of the Russian Federation shall be established by the international treaties of the Russian Federation, this Federal Law, other federal laws.