The Central Electoral Commission of The Russian Federation

Introduction

In Russia, recent advances in democratization have created the need for a new approach to elections. Thus the Central Electoral Commission of The Russian Federation is seeking  a modern approach to the running and organizing of elections.

The country's unique conditions, such as its huge territory, large number of time zones, uneven distribution of population,and various regions with differing levels of infrastructure and transport development have all influenced the search for a solution to the organization of elections.

There are at present 105 million voters in Russia. More than 90,000 voting centres are set up during elections, and over one million people take part in the organization and conducting of elections. As a result, the electoral commission faces many organizational and technological problems associated with the preparation and conduct of transparent democratic elections, as well as large financial costs. Of major importance is the preparation of voters lists, running the pre-electoral campaigns, processing and distributing the election results, and insuring transparency of elections. Complications which are unavoidable without the use of modern technology would lead to serious political and economic consequences.

The decree by the President of the Russian Federation to establish a State Automated System Elections was issued on August 23, 1994. From this date an intense development of new Russian election technologies and stage-by-stage implementation of a new electronic system has taken place. The first components of the System were used during the elections of deputies to the Russian State Duma on December 17, 1995.

In June 1996, during experimental exploitation of its first stage, the System was used to prepare and conduct the Presidential elections for more than 80 percent of the subjects of the Russian Federation. The System was used primarily to prepare voters lists and summarize the preliminary results of voting. However, it was effective during this period.

During the elections for heads of executive branches of power, deputies of legislative bodies, and local administrations (October-December 1996), the System was used in 75 (out of 89 total) subjects of the Russian Federation. The operational experience of the System in the subjects of the Russian Federation confirmed its efficiency, comprehensibility and adaptability for solving local specific problems, when new software products had been developed with consideration for specific local conditions and local legislation..

The State Programme of the Development of the State Automated System Elections took place from 1996 to 2000. At the time of writing, it was already implemented in 88 subjects of the Russian Federation, i.e. almost the total Russian territory. The scale of its usage and number of technical equipment and technological solutions rank it as the largest computer network in the country. From the point of view of its functional potential, software, and universal structural composition, it is considered the leading information and telecommunication system in Russia.

Possibilities and resources of the System

More than 6000 computers have been configured to form a single system. Out of these, 90 local networks have been created which, in turn, unify more than 300 automated workstations.

The System can provide verification of ballot validity, protect voting results from fraud, and display election results in all regions of the country in real-time mode. On the day of elections, the use of scanners allows the tallying of results of different types of voting with a delay of only 20-25 minutes.Then the intermediate results of voting can be transferred to the Central Electoral Commission as statistics, schemes, text, audio and visual information and, after processing, be promptly forwarded to the media.

In order to provide a high level of sustainability and versatility, various auxiliary components were built into the system.  These auxiliary technologies and equipment compose a long list, ranging from various kinds of complex internal furnishing for voting places and centres, to technologies for high-quality printing production with a high level of fraud protection, electronic fingerprint identification devices (dactyloscopy) and ballot-counting equipment.

Between elections these resources are used primarily for:

• communication between administrations at different levels and support for their work
• provision of information resources to administrations

Principles and characteristics of composition, maintenance

The System Elections has a multi-level hierarchical structure, in which automated equipment is linked via email into a single information network. Utilization of different communication channels (including digital and satellite channels) allows the System to operate in a real-time mode.

The first cycle of the System serves as a technical basis for computer networks at the four major levels: Central Electoral Commission, Electoral Commission of the Subjects of the Russian Federation, District Electoral Commission, and Regional Electoral Commission (see scheme 1).

The hierarchical structure of the System duplicates the organizational structure of Electoral Commissions:

• information network of the Central Electoral Commission and the Informatisation Federal Centre;
• information centres of Electoral Commissions of subjects of the Russian Federation;
• information services of District Electoral Commissions conducting elections of the federal bodies of state power;
• information centres of Regional Electoral Commissions.

Although local networks at lower levels have unified software and telecommunication bases, their characteristics and configuration differ from each other. For example, primary (low-level) networks for the Regional Electoral Commissions can be manufactured in six different models differing from each other in their terminal characteristics and number of printers, depending on the intensity of information flow and the number of voters in a region.

The Systems composition is based on the module principle, which allows the development of the System, without affecting the operation of its basic networks. This principle also allows the use of components of the network autonomously in certain areas for conducting different kinds of elections and serving other local needs.

Today, the System Elections is one of the largest information systems in Russia and provides reliable and sustainable electronic communication with the most distant regions of the country. It provides email services for more than 3000 clients in almost all cities and regional centres of the Russian Federation.

The System is operated and maintained by more than 3000 system administrators. Technical maintenance is supervised by 25 internationally certified technical consultants, who have permission from the government to work with the System. Twelve regional service centres provide training of personnel and maintenance of technical equipment.

The second cycle of the System Elections will include modernization and automatization of the Divisional Electoral Commissions. As a result of this work, the total number of local networks and terminals integrated into the System will reach 100,000 units.  It is anticipated that the System "Elections" will be unified with other information systems in Russia, which are currently being developed through various federal development programmes.

Technical solutions

The communication system and data transformation project was developed in accordance with the current state of the Russian communication channels, using foreign and domestic technologies and equipment, and taking into consideration the specific administrative and territorial composition of the country, local geography, and a relatively low level of computer literacy among the population.

Major criteria for selecting technical and computer hardware were a high level of reliability during the exploitation period and the universality of its composition.

The local network is composed according to the Ethernet 802.3 and 802.12 technologies, which will also facilitate local video conferences. In addition, eight file-servers and three email servers are used.  Standard Compaq computers, ProLiant and ProSignia servers, and DeskPro and ProLinea workstations were used as components of the System.

Using telecommunication channels, information about voting is collected in the Central Electoral Commission, thereafter it is processed by "Itogi" (Results) and Kartographia (Cartography) programming tools, and subsequently sent to the Elections Information Centre.

The Elections Information Centre uses the system of information display for prompt distribution of information about the process of elections and voting results.

The information display system is a combination of software and hardware unified into a local computing network. One of the elements of the system is a Toshiba videowall—a screen four metres in diagonal. The information display system allows the protection of a picture covering the whole screen, as well as different pictures only covering parts of the screen. Depending on specific tasks, it is possible to display information in poly-screen mode, i.e. to display information on a single segment of the screen or on four, nine or sixteen segments or to combine two pictures.

Data is transferred to the information display system through digital communication channels. This kind of hardware support provides maximum flexibility and dependability of the system with minimal supervising personnel.  Transfer of sound, pictures and data in "video-conference" mode complies with the ISO Ethernet standards.

Technologies of data collection and processing

From the beginning of the voting procedure until the signing of final protocol by the Central Electoral Commission, the System Elections is used for monitoring the election process and receiving preliminary voting results by transferring data from subordinate Electoral Commissions to superior ones. The technology for data collection from subordinate Electoral Commissions includes:

• Data collection of the election process. Information about the election process is collected at Regional Electoral Commissions, processed by Electoral Commissions and transferred to the Central Electoral Commission. This information includes data about the number of voters registered in voting centres on the day of elections, overall number of voters voting at a particular moment, dynamics of the election process, and percentage of voters who have already voted.
• Provision of operative information about the voting process. Information is collected and processed by the Regional Electoral Commission and transferred to the Central Electoral Commission. It includes voting results from all Divisional Electoral Commissions, which have presented reports.
• Provision of preliminary information about the voting process. Information is collected and processed by Regional Electoral Commissions, after collecting final protocols with voting results from Divisional Electoral Commissions. After processing data from all Regional Electoral Commissions, Electoral Commissions transfer it to the Central Electoral Commission. This data represents voting results from Regional and District Electoral Commissions.
• Establishing archive databases. Archives are compiled from databases created in Regional Electoral Commissions and Electoral Commissions during the election process. Information received by the Central Electoral Commission network from subordinate Electoral Commissions is double-checked in order to eliminate all possible mistakes and is stored in respective databases.

Programme Complex Itogi (Results) allows information to be summed up and presented as tables, including subjects of the Russian Federation, Regional and District Electoral Commissions, and the percentage of processed bulletins compared with overall numbers.

Programme Complex Kartographia (Cartography) presents election results on in [CONFUSING] cartographic forms using colours, graphics and diagrams. After each session of data processing, slide series are produced. Using communication channels, tables and cartographic information are later transferred to the information display system.

High quality technology was used during the election of the President of the Russian Federation and the elections for the state authority bodies in 1996, when the State Automated System "Elections" was used for summarizing preliminary voting results.

System of communication and data transfer

A digital automated station and leased communication channels are used at the upper level of the System. They provide reliable voice communication and data transfer (19,2 Kb/sec) using "each-to-each" principle, and compose the departmental communication network of the Central Electoral Commission.

Introduction of new communication equipment and digital communication channels will speed up the data transfer up to 64 Kb. Implementation of a wide-line telephone and communication system with moving objects is also planned. At present, a half-duplex mode for data transfer and a duplex mode for telephone communication are used.

Direct telephone, facsimile, modem and teleconference communications are used by the upper level of the System for communicating with the Electoral Commissions. The System can interact with other networks, and is able to use additional number capacities of the Moscow City Telephone Network, non-state Russian networks Rosnet, Rospak and others.

During preparation and conduct of federal elections, all available channels of communication are used for data transfer, ranging from commuted telephone channels (switch-boards) to apportioned digital and satellite channels. Commuted telephone channels and regional and/or other local networks of data transfer are used at the lower level.

Data (information) protection

Information in the System is protected from unauthorized access by means of organizational and technical/software.

One of the Systems administrators in each section of the System has additional responsibilities for data protection. The System's administrators have software and hardware capabilities for data/information protection in each section. A routine for data/information protection from unauthorized access provides:

• data/information protection from unauthorized access during data processing;
• a register of access of authorized network users to information, software and hardware resources;
• controls for keeping the resources for System safeguards and software programs intact;
• registration and accumulation of all data about breaches in operation of the System relating to its security;
• control of workstation users' activity and prompt use of safeguard measures.

Software

The System software is composed of general and special software, which allows automated data collection, processing and analysis on all levels of the System.

General Software of the System Elections is composed of software for usual operation. General Software includes:

• Russian information/telecommunication package used in the telecommunication equipment. Using a transport module, it provides data reception and transfer via e-mail in auto mode on all levels of the System.
• Novell Netware and Windows NT used in network operation systems.
• MS Dos and MS Windows used in the basic operation environment.
• Paradox for Windows and Clipper used in database management systems.

Special Software of the System Elections is a package of multi-functional programs developed in Russia. It provides solutions for a complexity of tasks of the System during elections, summarizing the voting results as well as being used between elections.

The package consists of the following major software:

• VOTER —including voter registration, preparation and printing of voters' lists.
• TERRITORY —including classification and location of  territories, residential communities, and Electoral Commissions.
• RESULTS—providing updated information about voter participation during the voting procedure, processing of preliminary information about voting results, and preparation of materials for publication.
• CANDIDATE/DEPUTY —this includes maintenance of lists and files of candidates, proxies, electoral organizations and blocs which nominated candidates, deputies, and preparation and registration of deputies' certificates.
• FINANCES —for planning, fulfillment and control of budgets of Electoral Commissions, and accounting.
• LAW—maintains normative, legislative and regulatory documents in electronic version.
• SECRETARY—provides capability to work with documents (incoming/outgoing, regulatory, registered in electoral body), control over distribution, and completion of documents and instructions.
• STATISTICS—allows processing and analysis of statistical data on voting results, graphic and cartographic representation, and interaction with other networks for obtaining statistical data.
• CARTOGRAPHICS —provides prompt cartographic representation of information about preparation, conduct and results of electoral campaigns.
• PLANNING—facilitates complex automatization of the work of Electoral Commissions during planning and preparation of events, and conduct of elections and referenda.

Scanners for voting bulletins

Scanners for voting bulletins is an optical electronic peripheral device for scanning and processing ballots in voting centres. They were first introduced and broadly used during the elections in the Russian Federation in 1996. During the election of the President in June 1996, scanners were used in 15 Moscow voting centres for the preliminary processing of ballots.

During the election of the Governor of St. Petersburg in the same year, the number of scanners used reached 60. For the elections to bodies of local self-governance of 600 Leningradskaya oblast and 10 in Saratov. It is expected that scanners will be one of the most important election technologies used in Russia.

They allow the automation of the following operations:

• scanning votes marked on voting bulletins;
• counting votes for candidates and votes against all candidates with accumulating results;
• registration of results on magnetic storage diskettes and paper;
• checking correspondence of bulletins to approved specimens to prove validity;
• identification and automated marking of invalid ballots or ballots not corresponding to approved specimen.

Utilization of special software in scanners allows for effective usage according to local conditions, especially in remote regions.