The State Duma passed the Federal Law on May 6, 2024, and the Federation Council approved it on May 14, 2024.
Reference note from the Presidential State-Legal Directorate
The Federal Law aims to streamline election legislation and formalise additional guarantees to prevent foreign interference in the election process in the Russian Federation.
For example, the Federal Law requires candidates to terminate their foreign agent status. This must be confirmed by a document submitted to the relevant election commission along with other documents needed to register a candidate or a list of candidates. At the same time, a registered candidate cannot be included in the register of foreign agents.
The law also states expressly that mistakes (such as misprints) in the documents regarding specific candidates submitted to an election commission, if they do not allow for the reliable identification of the individual nominated in the relevant election district, serve as legal grounds for striking this candidate off the list of candidates, pending notarisation.
The law mandates the verification of appointed members of election commissions and referendum commissions to confirm that they are not included in the register of individuals involved in the activity of extremist or terrorist organisations.
In an effort to facilitate transparent and legitimate election campaigns funding, the Federal Law establishes spending limits for campaign funds, contingent upon the registration of a candidate or a list of candidates. For example, in elections to public authorities of the Russian Federation’s constituent entities, public authorities of a federal territory and local self-government agencies, the maximum spending limit for campaign funds to be used prior to the registration of a candidate shall be 30 percent of the total campaign fund, as mandated by the law. Respective federal laws establish this limit regarding federal elections.
Additionally, the Federal Law aims to improve the voting procedure for incarcerated individuals, suspects and defendants, as well as the procedure for cancelling unused ballots and enhancing elections monitoring.
The corresponding changes shall be introduced into other federal laws.