Electronic elections Remote voting

2024

The mission is hardly feasible: big obstacles have formed for voting on "paper" in Moscow

From September 6 to 8, elections to the Moscow City Duma were held. This year, for the first time, a new procedure for expressing will was applied in Moscow, when by default the voter is given the opportunity to vote online, and to vote with a paper ballot, it was necessary to submit an application to the election commission in advance, no later than three days before the start of the elections. This could be done by going with a passport personally to the territorial election commission or by applying for a paper ballot online on the portal mos.ru.

The TAdviser correspondent tried to do this through the mos.ru portal a few days before the election, but the portal did not allow an application, although all the conditions for this were met. There are complaints about a similar situation from other users on the Internet.

After the TAdviser correspondent chose the option to submit an application for voting on a paper ballot, mos.ru responded by issuing a message that such a "service" is available if passport data is filled out and confirmed in his personal account.

At that time, the applicant's passport data was already filled out and confirmed, as evidenced by the blue "tick" in the corresponding section.

The support operator also asked about the presence of a "tick" in the passport block in his personal account and recommended clearing the cache. As expected, this in no way solved the problem. It was not resolved over the following days.

It is noteworthy that even if the passport data were not filled out, it would still be impossible to make changes to them at that time. The mos.ru portal, when accessing the option to change passport data, issued a message that the change in personal data was temporarily unavailable.

You can find complaints about a similar situation on the Internet from other users. For example, one of the users of the Pikabu portal writes that in his case the problem persisted for a whole month, and he was never able to apply for a paper bulletin. There are also messages on a similar topic, for example, in the social network VK.

The DIT of Moscow did not comment on the TAdviser situation with the obstacle to voting on "paper," which was formed on the portal mos.ru.

Earlier, on August 30, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation filed a lawsuit on the illegality of total electronic voting with the Moscow City Court, which shows that a similar situation, when artificial obstacles are created for voting with "paper," and you can vote using remote electronic voting or an electronic voting terminal at the polling station without any problems, actually means that electronic voting will become the main form of voting, and voting with a paper ballot - additional. This is a clear violation of the N67-FZ "On the basic guarantees of electoral rights and the right to participate in the referendum of citizens of the Russian Federation," the plaintiffs of the^[1].

It is noteworthy that during the voting in various information channels, including the website of the same Communist Party of the Russian Federation, reports began to appear about cases when they were allowed to fill out an application right at the polling station if the voter had a "good reason," because of which he did not fill out the application in advance. The option with a "good reason" as an "exceptional case" is also spelled out in the new voting rules approved by the Moscow election commission^[2], but it was not actively promoted in the info field among the general public, unlike electronic voting, and the mos.ru portal did not mention it at the stage of choosing the voting option.

How remote electronic voting works in Moscow. We disassemble the system

Main article: How remote electronic voting works in Moscow. We disassemble the system

More than 8 million Russian citizens took part in the elections remotely

With the help of remote electronic voting platforms, more than 8 million residents of Russia were able to vote. On March 18, 2024, TAdviser was informed about this by the press service of the State Duma deputy RFAnton Nemkin, citing a statement by the head of the Central Election Commission Ella Pamfilova. At the same time, all systems withstood the flow of hacker attacks that were organized from different countries around the world.

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"Over 8 million of our voters voted on remote electronic voting alone, including Moscow," Pamfilova said at a CEC meeting.

According to the head of the Central Election Commission, almost 10 million voters "were able to vote not at their polling station at their place of permanent residence, but where they were." Turnout among those who applied to vote at the place of stay was almost 90%.

Deputy Chairman of the CEC Nikolai Bulaev also said that more than 3, 6 million Muscovites voted with the help of the mos.ru portal, and 4.5 million Russians in 28 regions with the help of the federal platform.

As previously reported in the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia, the final turnout in the country on the DEG platform during the presidential elections was 94%. Most of all there were female voters - 62%, among men 38% voted. Most often, voters aged 35-50 voted remotely, which is 42%. The leading region in terms of voter turnout was the Moscow region - 799 thousand people.

"As colleagues previously correctly noted, Russia has proved that it is the digital electoral capital of the world. Everyone who voted online notes the advantages of this method of voting - this is a really convenient tool for participating in elections, which allows attracting citizens who are not always ready to physically visit polling stations: first of all, young people who are used to receiving all services in an online format, "said Anton Nemkin, a member of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications.

According to him, hackers from different countries tried with all their might to interfere with the electoral process: according to Roskomnadzor, during the election campaign and during the elections, more than 500 DDoS attacks were recorded and reflected against the systems of protected subjects. United Russia also recorded and repelled large-scale DDoS attacks on all electronic services of the party - they were conducted to all addresses in the party's subnets and in the edinros and ER.RU domains.

"Nevertheless, the attacks did not affect the voting in any way and did not affect the functioning of the Russian segment of the Internet, all systems survived. And this is a huge merit of the specialists who developed, tested and improved them for a long time, "the deputy added.

In total, from March 11 to March 17, specialists from the Center for Monitoring and Management of the Public Communications Network (CMU SSOP), subordinate to Roskomnadzor, blocked 275 phishing resources, identified and eliminated 115 traffic routing violations, sent 18 security bulletins to telecom operators about identified vulnerabilities in software with recommendations for their elimination.

"During the election campaign and until the end of the elections, experts also constantly monitored that all mobile operators without interruption provide access to socially significant platforms, including resources used for remote electronic voting. There were no interruptions in the provision of communication services for access to such resources, which is also very important from the point of view of ensuring a comfortable online voting process, "the parliamentarian concluded.

2023

CEC will inform about the presidential elections in the Russian Federation using a new IT system

The new InformPEC system and the mobile application of the same name will be used to inform citizens about the upcoming presidential elections in the Russian Federation. This, speaking at a plenary meeting of the Federation Council on December 7, 2023, said the chairman of the Central Election Commission Ella Pamfilova. According to her, the technology has already been tested during the last single voting day. Read more here.

The head of the CEC reported to Putin on the progress of digitalization of the electoral system

In early July 2023, the head Central Election Commission (CEC) Ella Pamfilova at a meeting with the president Russia Vladimir Putin spoke about the progress of digitalization of the electoral system.

According to the Vedomosti newspaper, the digital analogue of the state automated system (GAS) Vybory will be ready for the presidential elections in March 2024. A feature of the platform will be a high level of security due to complete isolation from the Internet. When creating a system, domestic hardware and software is used.

Ella Pamfilova at a meeting with Vladimir Putin

It is said that certain elements of the digital platform were used on a single voting day in 2022 and will be involved in the elections in September 2023. Many subjects of the Russian Federation take part in testing. For the presidential campaign, the system "will function in active mode." At the same time, it is planned to provide a triple level of reliability: these are the main and backup hardware and software complexes of the digital platform, as well as State Automated System Vybory.

There is a certain risk in terms of safety and reliability if the entire system is not tested. Apparently, all elements of the digital platform will be tested after a single voting day, namely, it will have the main burden when it would be possible to arrange a stress test for the platform, "said electoral expert Grigory Melkonyants.

When asked by Putin whether remote electronic voting will be available in new regions, Pamfilova replied that such an opportunity is not planned in 2023. According to her, it is very difficult to implement such a project from a technical point of view, including due to the current geopolitical situation. Therefore, the possibility of using the standard state automated system "Vybory" in these regions is being considered^[3]

Russia has developed a single standard for monitoring remote electronic voting

On June 27, 2023, the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation announced the development of a single standard for monitoring remote electronic voting (DEG). New recommendations are planned to be sent to the regions where the appropriate form of expression of will will will be applied.

According to the Kommersant newspaper, the document was developed by analogy with the "gold standard" of observation in traditional polling stations, which is a questionnaire with criteria for assessing the voting process. The observer answers "yes" or "no" to the proposed questions and, if he discovers violations, reports this to the Public Chamber. As innovations appear in the electoral process, the "gold standard" is updated.

The Public Chamber announced the development of a single standard for monitoring remote electronic voting

The DEG surveillance standard contains 47 questions. The Independent Public Monitoring Association at the Public Chamber will train observers. It is noted that there is no shortage of people to monitor DEG, but there is a shortage of specialized software solutions that are necessary for rechecking reports. In addition, it is necessary to analyze big data: in observing DEG, in particular, you need to compare transaction chains every 10 minutes or 10 seconds and compare them with the general base in order to identify peak loads of the same type of actions, which "can be stuffing." Observers will also need basic knowledge in the field of blockchain operation, transmission, storage and verification of data transmitted in this way.

It is hardly possible to transfer the observation of the DEG to the level of a simple person, but it is quite promising to use such observers as volunteers to collect a large array of casual data to verify them, "Kommersant quotes a member of the TEK DEG at the CEC of Russia in 2022, ex-chairman of the Yaroslavl regional election committee Oleg Zakharov.[4]

2022

The Ministry of Digital Development spoke about the changes in Remote Electronic Voting-2022

June 7, 2022 - September 11, 2022 Russia the Unified Voting Day will be held. This was announced on June 9, 2022. In Ministry of Digital Development 2022, a "figure" will also be used in the electoral process - a number of regions will be able to vote remotely. What innovations await voters at the Remote Electronic Voting (DEG) in 2022, the deputy head of CEC of Russia the Ministry of Deputy Head of the Ministry of Digital Development told the round table. Oleg Kachanov

{{quote Public Services Portal integrated|with an automated system State automated system "Elections", this ensures automatic comparison of voter register data and confirmed portal user accounts. Thanks to this, residents can apply for participation in electronic voting and go authorization through Public services on the DEG portal. In addition, information services have been implemented in the personal account on the Public services, which specifically notify voting participants about the upcoming elections, where they have the right to participate, - said Oleg Kachanov. }}

Innovations in DEG-2022

• it will be possible to apply for participation in remote voting through Public services, even if only municipal elections are held in the subject. Previously, it was possible to submit only a combined application for elections at all levels;
• the application for online voting can be downloaded from secure Russian stores for Android (RuStore and NashStore);
• The surveillance format will be improved, for example, procedures for appointing observers through the Public services portal are planned.

Additional safety measures in the DEG-2022

• 24-hour monitoring of suspicious activity;
• blocking the possibility of entering from IP addresses located outside Russia;
• two-factor authentication at the entrance to the personal account on Public services;
• cannot change the phone number in the profile without access to the previously linked one;
• unlocking your account only when you visit the Service Center in person.

Acceptance of applications for participation in online voting will begin on July 26 and will last until September 6.

Russia has adopted a law on uniform rules for online voting. Main provisions

On March 11, 2022, the State Duma adopted in the third (final) reading amendments to the Federal Law "On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right to Participate in a Referendum of Citizens of the Russian Federation" in terms of improving legislation when conducting remote electronic voting. The main provisions are as follows:

The State Duma adopted a law on the extension of electronic voting to all elections in Russia

• when holding elections and referendums, voting can be carried out in remote electronic form (DEG) by decision of the election commission, the decision on the application of DEG in federal elections will be made by the CEC;
• the timing of the DEG, as well as the systems that will be used for this, is determined by the election commission;
• it will be possible to register for participation in online voting through a special Internet portal;
• persons with a repaid or withdrawn criminal record for extremist crimes will not be able to be elected for another five years after its repayment;
• it is envisaged to maintain Ministry of Justice Russia a unified register of information about foreign agents or persons affiliated with them. If the agitation materials contain statements of such persons, they must be accompanied by a plate informing about the foreign agent status;
• the structure of election commissions is changing: members of the commission with an advisory vote will remain only at the level of the CEC and commissions of the subjects of the federation.

For electronic voting, they will use the state automated system "Elections" and other certified GIS, including regional ones. Russians will be able to vote on the site on the Internet or through a mobile application.

The law provides for a change in the procedure for appointing members of election commissions with an advisory vote. Candidates or parties nominated by lists during federal elections will be able to appoint only one CEC member and one member of the regional election commission with an advisory vote. And when holding elections to the authorities of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation - only to the regional commission.^[5]

2021

Deputies of "United Russia" submitted to the State Duma a bill enshrining the principles of remote electronic voting

Deputies of United Russia submitted to the State Duma a bill enshrining the principles of remote electronic voting (DEG). Lawyers, as well as deputies of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, believe that the legislative initiative to establish remote voting is premature. This became known on December 20, 2021. Earlier, the deputies of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation submitted to the State Duma a bill on the abolition of remote electronic voting until the completion of the formation of a full-fledged DEG system.

State Duma deputies from the United Russia party Dmitry Vyatkin and Dmitry Lameikin submitted to the State Duma bill No. 40921-8 "On Amendments to the Federal Law" On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right to Participate in a Referendum of Citizens of the Russian Federation "(in terms of improving legislation during remote electronic voting (DEG).

The authors of the bill propose to consolidate that remote electronic voting is carried out using, State automated system "Elections" as well as other state information systems that have been certified and meet the requirements established. Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation At the same time, it provides for the mandatory passage of procedures, and identifications authentications confirmation of identity, as well as anonymization of the results of the expression of will, their during encoding voting and decryption after its completion.

The bill also establishes that when conducting remote electronic voting, it is possible to express the will of the voter, participant in the referendum and generate data on the results of remote electronic voting, taking into account the invariability of the saved results of the will of voters, referendum participants and observance of the secrecy of voting, as well as the impossibility of establishing a connection between the personal data of the voter, referendum participant and the result of his will.

The explanatory note to the bill says that it is designed to help create additional opportunities and guarantees for the implementation of the electoral rights of citizens, It will also allow to determine the directions of further work on improving the legal regulation of the electoral process and the introduction of modern technologies into this process. {{quote 'Experience of using remote electronic voting in elections in 2019-2021 in experimental mode indicates the need to establish the basic principles and parameters of such voting, uniform for all elections and referendums on the territory of the Russian Federation, - says the explanatory note. }}

There are two remote electronic voting systems in Russia. Residents of the regions use the federal platform, which was developed by Rostelecom and Ministry of Digital Development by order of the CEC of Russia. In Moscow, there is a platform developed by the Department of Information Technologies (DIT) of Moscow^[6].

Microsoft and Apple are working on the introduction of online elections in Ukraine

At the end of November 2021, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Microsoft and Apple are working to introduce online elections in the country. Read more here.

Creating a system to combat re-voting in elections

In early September 2021, it became known about the creation in Russia of a system to combat repeated voting in elections. It was presented by Deputy Minister of Digital Development Oleg Kachanov at a meeting of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

According to Kommersant, the technology assumes that every voter who expresses a desire to vote online or at the place of stay (for this you need to register or submit an application to the election commission a few days before the elections) will receive a unique code that will be impersonal (that is, it will allow you to keep a citizen's personal data secret) and entered in a special register. To create the code, the first two letters of the name, surname and patronymic, date of birth and the last four digits of the passport number will be used.

CEC creates a system to combat repeated voting in elections

Thanks to this platform, CEC members, according to Kachanov, will be able to instantly receive information about those who are already included in the list of participants in remote electronic voting and received a ballot at another polling station.

If a citizen filed an application through the "Mobile Voter" system for voting at the polling station at the location, but came to his residence permit, the system will also show this. In this case, there is no strict ban on the issuance of a ballot - a member of the election commission must contact the site to which the application was submitted and find out whether the given citizen voted there.

CEC Chairman Ella Pamfilova recalled that the problem of double voting manifested itself primarily at foreign polling stations, so the service will be available abroad, as well as in seven regions of Russia, where online voting will be used.

We have prepared a surprise for provocateurs who are ready to test the system for strength. The mechanism will allow us to prevent all sorts of provocations, which we know for sure - they are preparing, "she said.[7]

July 29 and 30 in Moscow will be tested electronic voting

On July 26, 2021, information appeared that testing of the electronic voting system will be held in Moscow on July 29 and 30. Thus, the system readiness for loads, its resistance to external influences will be checked, and the deferred solution function will be tested.

During testing, Muscovites will answer questions related to the mandatory vaccination of specialists working with people, as well as the development of personal and public transport. All adult residents of the city with a full mos.ru. account will be able to join the vote Additionally, you do not need to register.

Voting will be open from 08:00 on July 29 and will continue until 20:00 on July 30. You can find out more about how it will take place in a special project.^[8]

Testing of the electronic voting system will be held for the seventh time. Regular checks allow you to identify and eliminate all shortcomings in the operation of the system in time, and also make it more convenient for users.

Along with the residents of the city, hackers will check the system. The one of them who during the voting will be able to find vulnerabilities in the system and influence its work will receive a cash prize of two million rubles. After testing is completed, experts will study all hacking attempts to make online voting even safer.

The electronic voting system is used during the elections, which will be held from September 17 to 19, 2021. Muscovites will have to choose deputies of the State Duma, and residents of some districts - also deputies of the Moscow City Duma and municipal deputies of Shchukin. To take part in online voting, you must apply for inclusion in the lists of electronic voters. This can be done from August 2 to September 13.^[9]

How the remote electronic voting system works. The chief developer answered questions from experts

From September 17 to 19, 2021, all-Russian elections to the State Duma will be held, in which voters from seven regions of Russia - Kursk, Murmansk, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov and Yaroslavl regions, Moscow and Sevastopol - will have the opportunity to vote remotely. On July 28, 2021, a seminar was held on the remote electronic voting system. Deputy General Director of RT Labs for the digitalization of electoral processes Yuri Satirov presented the architecture of the software and technical complex of remote electronic voting (PTK DEG) and its key components, and also answered questions related to the operation of the system, its stability and safety. Read more here.

CEC chose regions for online voting in elections

On May 25, 2021, the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation at a meeting with the help of rating voting identified six regions for remote electronic voting (DEG) there in the elections to be held in September. These are:

• Kursk region;
• Murmansk region;
• Nizhny Novgorod region;
• Rostov region;
• Yaroslavl region;
• Sevastopol.

According to Kommersant, online voting will also take place in Moscow (DIT of Moscow Remote Electronic Voting), but the capital did not participate in the competition for the selection of applications, since it has a legislative basis for holding electronic elections out of competition.

The CEC of the Russian Federation has identified six regions for remote electronic voting there

According to the deputy chairman of the CEC Nikolai Bulaev, the CEC supported the Kurskaya, Nizhny Novgorod and Yaroslavl regions, since during previous campaigns they had already used DEG. Bulaev noted that one of the decisive factors in favor of the application of the Murmansk region was the opportunity for online voting in hard-to-reach places, Sevastopol considered the advantage to be the possibility of voting local residents with the help of the DEG in the event of their move due to the influx of tourists in September 2021, and the Rostov region one of the arguments was the number of participants in the all-Russian vote on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

I believe that we go quite neatly and balanced... We would like to test the remote electronic voting system in a combat situation, limited to 1-1.5 million voters, and this will be a large number of transactions, "Nikolai Bulaev said at a meeting of the commission, adding that remote electronic voting will be applied, including in municipal elections.

In the capital, online voting in the upcoming elections in September will be organized on a platform that was developed by the mayor's office, in other regions - on a platform developed by the CEC together with the Ministry of Digital Development and Rostelecom^[10]

25 thousand people tested the remote electronic voting system

Rostelecom on May 11, 2021 shared the results of technological testing of the remote electronic voting system (DEG), which took place in preparation for the use of the DEG at the all-Russian training session on May 12-14 and on a single voting day (EDG) on September 19, 2021. Read more here.

Leading regions for applications for participation in remote electronic voting

At the end of April 2021, the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Russia named the regions leading in applications for participation in remote electronic voting:

• North Ossetia - Alania - 19,547 applications (the share of the population who expressed a desire to participate in remote voting via the Internet - 3.79%);
• Murmansk region - 19,095 (3.29%);
• Nizhny Novgorod region - 71,364 (2.80%).

Acceptance of applications for participation in remote electronic voting on the portal of public services started on April 21, 2021 and will end on May 7. According to the CEC, about 1.7 million applications were submitted throughout Russia in a week.

CEC named the regions leading in applications for participation in remote electronic voting

All regions of Russia take part in the training. In ten regions, voting will take place in all types of elections, in 75 regions a test vote will take place in the elections of State Duma deputies.

It is planned to use about 1,100 types of ballots, each voter will receive from 2 to 6 electronic ballots. The CEC expects the system to process tens of millions of votes.

In the near future, a working group will be formed, which will include the most authoritative representatives of the IT industry. We want every decision within the training to be absolutely transparent to the professional community. So that there are no speculations, insinuations, suspicions, assumptions. No one needs it, - said the chairman of the CEC Ella Pamfilova, whose words are quoted in the official Telegram channel of the Central Election Commission.

Simplification of the registration and voting procedure is an important condition for the popularity of remote voting, Anatoly Vyborny, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption, told Parlamentskaya Gazeta. According to him, the expert community, participants in the electoral process are constantly discussing issues of improving the electronic voting system.^[11]

Start of acceptance of applications for testing electronic voting at EPGU

On April 21, 2021, the portal of state services started accepting applications for participation in testing the remote electronic voting system as part of the all-Russian training on the use of state automated system "Vybory" and the software and hardware complex of remote electronic voting.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation, applications for participation in testing will be accepted from everyone until May 7, 2021. To issue an application, you must have a confirmed account on the public services portal. A resident of any region of Russia can take part in testing electronic voting. The testing itself will take place from May 12 to 14, 2021.

Applications for testing electronic voting began to be accepted on public services

The Ministry of Digital Development reports that the all-Russian training on the use of the state automated system and the software and technical complex of remote electronic voting on a single voting day on September 19, 2021 takes place in several stages and will end on May 21. During the training, the serviceability of the state automated system and the software and hardware complex of remote electronic voting will be checked, as well as practical actions of the participants in the electoral process will be worked out: from registration and authorization to voting and summing up. Training will be held on the portal of remote electronic voting - vybory.gov.ru.

Earlier, the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Ella Pamfilova said that the preparatory stage of the all-Russian testing on the use of the state automated system in the upcoming elections in September includes "the development of a training scenario, the preparation of test cases, including test election campaigns, conditional candidates and electoral associations^[12][1]

DIT Moscow for the first time described in detail the architecture of the voting system on the blockchain

Kirill Polyakov, coordinator of distributed register technologies DIT of Moscow , first described in detail the architecture of the remote voting system based on the technology blockchain and briefly shared plans for its further development. Representatives TAdviser of DIT shared this Moscow with on February 11, 2021.

Main article: DIT of Moscow Remote electronic voting

Russian elections on blockchain will cost 6 billion

On February 5, 2021, it became known that ensuring the task of providing digital services for participants in the electoral process would cost the federal budget 6.2 billion rubles. This follows from the federal project "Digital Public Administration" of the national program "Digital Economy of Russia."

The planned goals are: the availability of the voting procedure for voters, regardless of their location; organizing the activities of election commissions on the basis of digital data on voters and other participants in the electoral process, including using the national data management system; provision of digital services for voters, candidates for a position to be replaced through elections, observers, and the media.

Methodologies for switching to a digital platform for the implementation of basic guarantees of electoral rights and the right to participate in a referendum of citizens, Russia functional and technical requirements for a digital platform for the implementation of digital services, requirements for them and regulations for their provision should be developed.

The legislation and regulations of the Central Election Commission (CEC) should be amended to implement digital services for participants in the electoral process. Digital services should be implemented in the personal accounts of participants in the electoral process.

In addition, centralized maintenance, storage, updating and analysis of data on voters and referendum participants should be ensured, taking into account data provided from state information systems and other state bodies within the framework of the National Data Management System (NDMS). And election commissions will be given access to a digital platform to ensure the implementation of their powers, planning and conducting election campaigns, determining election results^[13].

2020

In the United States, for the first time, the president is elected through the Voatz blockchain system on a smartphone

On November 3, 2020, presidential elections started in the United States, it was possible to cast a vote for candidates using a blockchain system on a smartphone. Read more here.

The authorities of the Sverdlovsk region ordered a blockchain system for voting for 7.2 million rubles

In October 2020, the authorities of the Sverdlovsk region ordered a blockchain system for voting. The cost of the contract, information about which is posted on the public procurement website, is 7.2 million rubles excluding VAT. Read more here.

Announcement of the system for checking subscription lists from the CEC of the Russian Federation

In early September 2020, the CEC of the Russian Federation announced the development of a system for automatic authentication of subscription lists. Anton Lopatin, a member of the Central Election Commission, spoke about this technology on the official Telegram channel of the Central Election Commission. Read more here.

CEC buys equipment for digital polling stations

On August 21, 2020, it became known about the contract signed by the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Russia and the Avtomatika concern. Under the terms of the agreement, Rostec's subsidiary will supply equipment for an experiment on voting at digital polling stations in Moscow. The financial component of the agreement has not been disclosed. Read more here.

Finalizing the development of an electronic voting system from Rostelecom

On August 19, 2020, Rostelecom announced the development of a remote electronic voting system (DEG) on the blockchain for the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Russia. On August 7, the first technological testing of the technology took place, public tests are scheduled for August 31. Read more here.

CEC of the Russian Federation creates an electronic voting system with biometrics

On July 6, 2020, it became known that the Central Election Commission of Russia is developing a system for electronic voting. Its feature is support for biometrics. Read more here.

Kaspersky Lab turned out to be the developer of the blockchain voting system on the Constitution

On June 9, 2020, it became known that Kaspersky Lab was engaged in the implementation of the blockchain project for electronic voting on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation by order of the Moscow Department of Information Technologies. Read more here.

CEC spoke about the electronic voting procedure

On June 4, 2020, the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) approved the procedure for remote electronic voting during an all-Russian vote on the law on the amendment to the constitution. Read more here.

The head of the CEC: it will be possible to vote electronically for amendments to the Constitution

At the end of May 2020, it became known that it would be possible to vote electronically for amendments to the Russian Constitution. The head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of the country, Ella Pamfilova, said this in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

According to her, remote electronic voting (DEG) on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation will be used in three to four regions. The previously used "Moscow" technology (DIT of Moscow Remote Electronic Voting) will be used as a basis. At the same time, Pamfilova noted that the regional leadership itself should take the initiative to conduct remote voting, "protect" the CEC its readiness for this and prove its ability to fulfill all the requirements.

Pamfilova named the number of regions where electronic voting on the Constitution will take place

At first, it is important to carefully work out all aspects of the DEG and assess the possibility of its widespread application nationwide in the near future. To do this, a number of conditions must be met, "said Ella Pamfilova, answering the question of how ready Russia's electoral system is to use such a model and what remains to be done.

The head of the CEC said that the task is facilitated by the absence of candidates in the generally accepted understanding of political competition. This somewhat reduces the "entry threshold" for the application of new technologies and allows you to focus on softer requirements for the implementation of remote voting, she added.^[14]

On May 24, 2020, a law came into force that allows remote electronic voting in elections at all levels.

Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Russia Nikolai Bulaev in the radio "Komsomolskaya Pravda" called ridiculous attempts to say that the introduction of a new form of will is being prepared "for today." In the capital, for example, the experiment was carried out even before the coronavirus pandemic. The official also recalled that the law "On Elections" does not introduce anything new - it only allows you to vote remotely.

President V. Putin signed a law providing for the possibility of remote voting at all levels of elections

The law introduces the concept of "remote electronic voting" (voting without the use of a paper-based ballot paper using special software).

In addition, the amendments provide for the possibility of early voting at all levels of elections, including at the presidential elections in order to protect the health of voters and create maximum convenience for citizens of the Russian Federation to exercise electoral rights.

In ordinary polling stations, such early voting may be held no earlier than 10 days before voting day.

Early voting may be arranged outside the polling place at least seven days before polling day.

The amendments provide, among others, "other valid reasons that do not allow you to arrive at the voting premises" as grounds for the precinct commission to provide voters with the opportunity to participate in voting outside the polling stations.

In particular, the basis for voting outside the polling stations may be "the need to care for persons in need."

As the deputy Dmitry Vyatkin explained earlier, the mentioned types of voting do not apply to the expected popular vote on amendments to the Constitution, since this procedure is regulated by a separate law.

The norm is also introduced that voting on the election of the highest official of a constituent entity of Russia can be postponed by the legislative (representative) body of the state power of the region if a high alert or emergency regime is introduced in this constituent entity in its territory or in the territories of two or more municipalities in the presence of a threat to the life or health of citizens.

The law also allows the collection of signatures of voters and referendum participants using the "Unified Portal of State and Municipal Services."

It is envisaged that using the portal of public services, no more than half of the number of signatures can be collected, which is necessary for registering a candidate, a list of candidates, and the appointment of a referendum.

Regions have the right to establish within these limits their own restrictions on the number of "electronic" signatures.

In addition, the requirements for so-called defective signatures in elections to regional parliaments are being tightened: the permissible number of inaccurate and invalid signatures from the total number of candidates collected for registration and referendum is reduced from 10 to 5 percent.

The State Duma adopted a law on electronic voting in elections

On May 13, 2020, the State Duma adopted in the third reading a bill on electronic voting in elections and referendums. Russians will be able to cast their votes by mail, via the Internet and on the public services portal.

As noted by Interfax, the possibility of remote voting at all levels of elections, including in the presidential elections. However, they do not apply to the upcoming popular vote on amendments to the Constitution, since this procedure is regulated by a separate law.

The State Duma adopted a bill on voting in elections via the Internet and by mail

To prevent errors in the manufacture of subscription lists used in electronic voting, election commissions will be obliged to approve a sample of filling out the document.

The proposed changes are designed to ensure the rights of participants in the electoral process, as well as to prevent illegal actions, the explanatory note says.

Earlier, for remote voting, the regions were required to adopt separate acts. The possibility of conducting remote electronic voting at the federal level is not provided.

The bill also proposes to allow the collection of signatures of voters and referendum participants through the Unified Portal of State and Municipal Services.

Using this system, no more than half of the signatures of voters, referendum participants from the number of signatures that is necessary for registering a candidate, a list of candidates, and the appointment of a referendum can be collected, the document says.

250 deputies voted for the initiative on electronic voting, 83 opposed, one parliamentarian abstained. The deputies introduced new amendments on the afternoon of May 13, 2020, they decided to consider them immediately. The bill was adopted simultaneously in the second and third readings.^[15]

2019

DIT: 92.3% of registered voters in Moscow voted online

92.3% of registered voters took part in electronic voting in the elections to the Moscow City Duma on September 8, 2019. Voting ended at 20 o'clock.

Electronic voting is a unique experience not only for our city, but also for the whole of Russia. And such a high turnout once again confirms that voters are interested and convenient in this form of election. In the morning, a technical failure occurred in the hardware module and voting had to be temporarily suspended, but we managed to quickly restore the system's functionality. All registered voters were able to vote. We contacted anyone who had difficulty getting or filling out the ballot - that's 543 people. They received a call from the call center, a push notification in their personal account on the mos.ru and an email or SMS message. As a result, 85%, or 462 voters, after our notification returned to the system, received a ballot and voted, - commented the deputy head of the Department of Information Technologies of the city of Moscow Artem Kostyrko.

Main article: DIT of Moscow Remote electronic voting

For hacking the electronic voting system in Russia promised 2 million rubles

On August 5, 2019, it became known that for a test hack of the online voting system in Moscow, it will be possible to get 2 million rubles.

I raise the stakes from one and a half to two million rubles to those hackers who hack the system on the test on August 21, "said Alexei Venediktov, head of the Public Headquarters for Election Observation, at a meeting of the capital's Public Chamber (quoted by TASS).

From August 12 to 22, 2019, the third stage of testing the electronic voting system should pass. It will be attended by residents of only those three districts of the capital where the experiment will take place. More than 600 applications were received in 12 days.

Within the framework of electronic voting, a blockchain algorithm will work, which guarantees that all votes are taken into account correctly

The first  and second electronic test votes were successfully held in the capital on July 11 and 23, 2019. The measures were carried out as planned, no failures were recorded in the system. During testing, numerous hacker attacks were observed that did not become effective.

According to TASS, Deputy Head of the Moscow Department of Information Technologies Artem Kostyrko, within the framework of electronic voting, a blockchain algorithm will work - the voter's node.

This is a blockchain viewer, using which you can check how the system counted the ballot. This is a 100 per cent guarantee that all votes are counted correctly. To check your vote through the voter's node, you need to install any software for connecting to the blockchain or enter the cipher received after voting in the corresponding section on the mos.ru, "Kostyrko said.

To check the registration of their vote, online voting participants after filling out the ballots will receive an encrypted message, the value of which will be published after the end of the election. Thanks to the voter's nod, it became possible to check the vote before the end of the vote by entering the code in a special system viewer.

Members of precinct election commissions with the right to a decisive vote and observers will be able to follow electronic voting.^[16]

Russia will host the first electronic voting

In July 2019, it became about the holding of the first electronic elections in Russia. Voting via the Internet, when voters will not need to come to the polling station, will be held in the elections of deputies of the Moscow City Duma on September 8. The function will be available in three constituencies: No. 1 (Zelenograd), No. 10 (Northern, Lianozovo, Bibirevo) and No. 30 (Chertanovo Central, Chertanovo South).

In the elections of deputies of the Moscow City Duma on September 8, voters of three districts will be able to vote without coming to the polling station

Electronic voting will be experimental, so the traditional method is not canceled: both forms of participation in elections will be used at the same time. The voter himself will choose the voting form. At the same time, the possibility of double voting is excluded, said the chairman of the Moscow City Electoral Commission Valentin Gorbunov.

To participate in electronic voting, the voter must reside in the district and previously submit an application for participation in electronic voting through the public services portal. Applications will be accepted 45-3 days before the start of voting. On election day, the voter who submitted the application will have access to the ballot in electronic form in his personal account on the public services portal.

The voting process and results will be protected by blockchain technology. The electronic anonymous bulletin will be stored in a blockchain system to which many users are connected. When you try to change information, all members of the network will automatically see the changes that have occurred.

Information about the ballot does not remain either in the user's browser or on the administrator's server, which allows you to keep the secrecy of the vote.

   A special project dedicated to Internet voting was launched on the official portal of the mayor and the government of Moscow.  In the FAQ section, employees of the information technology department that developed the internet voting system called the threat of pressure on voters insignificant - unlikely - and did not offer technical measures to protect against it.^[17]

Notes