Russia to open ten polling stations in border regions for citizens abroad ahead of State Duma elections
Quick Look
Russia will establish ten polling stations in the Kaliningrad, Pskov, and Leningrad regions near borders with Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia for Russian citizens residing in unfriendly states to vote in the upcoming State Duma elections on September 18-20, building on a similar mechanism used during the 2024 presidential election.
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Why It Matters
The mechanism for setting up polling stations in Russian border regions for citizens abroad was first used during the March 2024 presidential election, when eleven stations were opened in areas bordering Poland and the Baltic states.
MOSCOW, September 5. /TASS/. Ten polling stations for Russian citizens located in unfriendly states will be set up for the upcoming elections to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in the Kaliningrad, Pskov, and Leningrad regions near border crossings with Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, Central Election Commission (CEC) member Pavel Andreyev told TASS. The experience of the 2024 presidential election demonstrated the demand for this format, considering the obstacles to organizing voting in some European countries, he added.
A similar mechanism was used during the Russian presidential election in March 2024, when eleven polling stations were opened in those regions bordering Poland and the Baltic states. This year there will be ten of them, Andreyev said.
"This year we will also open polling stations in the Kaliningrad, Pskov, and Leningrad regions near border crossings with Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland, as they may be in demand among our citizens living not only in Poland but also in Germany," he said.
The elections of deputies to the State Duma of the ninth convocation will be held on September 18, 19, and 20. Ten parties are participating in the federal elections: United Russia, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, LDPR, New People, A Just Russia, the Russian Party of Pensioners for Social Justice, Communists of Russia, Rodina, the Russian Ecological Party "The Greens," and the Party of Direct Democracy.
Open Questions
- What specific criteria determine which European countries are classified as 'unfriendly states' in this context?
- How many Russian citizens are expected to use these border polling stations?
- What logistical or security measures are in place to ensure the integrity of voting at these stations?
