MOSCOW — Russia’s upper chamber of parliament, the Federation Council, has approved a bill that allows voting over as many as three days during elections.
Right after the bill was approved by the Federation Council on July 24, Central Election Commission Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova announced that the new voting system will be used during elections in September in 41 of 83 regions of the Russian Federation.
According to Pamfilova, voting will start on September 11 and last for three days, with September 13 as the main election day.
The bill, which must be endorsed into law by President Vladimir Putin, says that the decision on whether to hold multiday voting will be made by electoral officials.
Human rights organizations in Russia have harshly criticized the bill, saying that it would give the authorities more control over elections and more of a chance to rig their results.
Multiday voting was used for the first time between June 25 and July 1 in a national vote on constitutional amendments that, among other things, allowed President Vladimir Putin the possibility to seek further presidential terms after his current term expires in 2024.