The following is a step-by-step account of votecounting procedures in Russia.
Repeated by-election of a Duma deputy in Monchegorsk District - December 3rd 2000. Polling station no 163 in Apatity.
This polling station was shared and used as two polling stations in the same big room. The room was divided in the middle. Most polling stations were schools, culture houses or daycares.
Voter turnout in this particular polling station was approximately 25% compared to the regional average on 37%.
It was common throughout the vote counting process that more than one activity took place at the same time. For example the unused ballotpapers were counted at the same time as the number of signatures on the voter register.
The vote counting procedures at this election went generally very well and smooth. We did not witness any major violations worth mentioning. This case study represents a typical vote counting procedure from a local election in Russia. The same electoral law is used all over the country with very minor changes. The vote counting procedures at federal elections as well as local are very similar. As far as the domestic observer could tell as well as ourselves, we know could not witness any unusual circumstances during this procedures. The only thing we reacted to was the fact that at some other polling stations at other elections in Russia it had been allowed to come in and go for visitors during the process, however this was not the case at this polling stations. The polling officials were very experienced and seemd to know the full process by heart.
Present at the polling station are:
- Seven polling station officials including the chairman.
- One police officer (responsible for both polling stations).
- One local observer representing one of the candidates in the election.
- Two international observers.
1) The chairman pronounces that the voting has closed and as a physical symbol she pulls down some curtains.
2) Before they start any counting she asks her staff to remove all pens so that there is no possibility to change numbers on the ballot account form or marks on the ballot papers.
3) The unused ballot papers are counted at the same time as the signatures on the voter register are counted. Each polling station receives a few less ballotpapers than the number of registered voters for that pollingplace, but they can easily have more delivered during the day should they run out of ballot papers.
4) When all the unused ballot papers are counted the number is announced and they are destroyed by cutting off a corner of each. During this time the polling boots are taken apart by the some of the polling officials to save time since they are not all needed for that one task.
5) The signatures on the electoral roll are now counted. The registers are put on a pile and sown together with thick thread and a needle with the experienced sowing hand of an old woman. The pile is signed by the Chairman on a smaller piece of paper put at the back of the pile.
6) The number of applications by voters that wished to vote in their homes are counted and the number is announced.
7) The movable ballot box which is used for these voters is examined and opened and the ballot papers in it are taken out and counted.
8) Each ballot paper is held up and it is proclaimed for each and every ballot paper which candidate received this vote.
9) A big table is now set up for the votes from the main ballot box. The votes from the movable ballot box are on another table which is actually not allowed because they should by now all be mixed on the big table.
10) The ballot box from this polling station is examined and opened. The votes are put on the big table by turning the box upside down.
11) After we all had a chance to look in the box, it is proclaimed that the ballot box is empty.
12) Before they start counting the votes the polling officials ask the chairman whether they should all stick to the same piles or if they should all have seven piles each. The chairman decided that they should all have their own piles.
13) Every polling official begins to sort the ballot papers in piles after candidates. That gives each polling official seven piles. Five for the different candidates, one for votes 'against all candidates' and one for invalid votes.
14) Only the polling officials are allowed to touch the votes. Observers are allowed to stand very close, ask questions and to take photos but not touch the votes.
15) While counting is going on one of the officials is wrapping in the unused, destroyed ballot papers in brown, thick paper and seals it with thick broad tape and the package is stamped.
16) Every now and then during counting the polling officials comment on the votes with surprise. For example 'There are not that many invalid votes this time' or 'Candidate X seems extremely popular'.
17) When all the votes are counted (approximately 1300) all the piles for the same candidate is put on a large pile.
18) Each invalid vote is proclaimed invalid and held up so that everyone present at the polling place could see. The chairman also mentions the reason for why this vote was invalid.
19) Now the pile with 'against all candidates' votes is dealt with the same way. Each and every vote is held up and it is proclaimed that this is a vote 'against all candidates'.
20) All the invalid votes are now put in an envelope. The number of invalid votes that the envelope contains is written on it and the envelope is stamped and signed by the chairman. The envelope is not sealed as yet.
21) Among the 'against all candidates' the polling officials have found yet another vote that they proclaim invalid. This vote is given to the official who is holding the envelope containing all the invalid votes.
22) Now the chairman moves towards the piles of votes with votes for candidates. The chairman starts with one pile and holds up every vote and proclaims that this a vote for candidate X. The chairman asks the observers to feel free to stand right behind her when she is counting each vote for the candidate so that they can see that it is a vote for that candidate and so that the Chairman wouldn´t have to proclaim each vote loudly.
23) This procedure is repeated for the other four candidates. Sometimes the counting of the different piles/candidates overlaps. Before any polling official starts counting a pile he/she announces that these are votes for candidate X etc.
24) The number of votes for the candidate that was counted first is announced.
25) The piles with votes are put in piles in alphabetical order on the table, which is the same way they are listed on the balance sheet and on the posters on the wall at the polling station. (they can be sorted in any way according to the law, not necessarily in alphabetical order.
26) The Chairman takes the pile with the last candidate. It seems this candidate received many more votes than any of the other and therefore the votes are divided up in piles by 50. There was a comment on this among the polling officials about this candidate receiving many votes but the Chairman asks the official to stop talking like that and comment on such political things since they have to be neutral and only deal with the process.
27) A former polling official at this polling stations comes in to the polling stations to say hello to his old colleagues. The chairman told him that he could not be here as just a visitor, he would then have to be registered before the vote counting process started. An interesting note is that at another local election in Tula, south of Moscow visitors were allowed to come and go as they wished.
28) One of the ballot papers had a little signature on it made by the voter. But the Chairman declared the ballot valid.
29) As soon as the number of votes is declared for each candidate the pile of votes for him/her is put in separate envelopes/packages and the number is written on the package together with the candidate´s name. The package is, like all other packages signed by the Chairman and stamped.
30) One of the polling officials has been sitting down all the time writing down the numbers that have been announced, like an accountant keeping the balance numbers. Together with other polling officials writing the same numbers on the poster sized ballot account form on the wall. This ballot account form also contains information about the address for the polling station etc. At the same time some other material is being taken down and packed, such as posters, scissors, chairs etc.
31) The polling official who fills in all the numbers is continuously checking with the regulations concerning adding votes so that they do it the right way.
32) All the envelopes and packages are put in a larger brown box.
33) They have wrapped the registers in thick brown paper and tape. The polling officials are discussing whether the voter registers should be put in the same box. They decide to not put them in the same box.
34) The large box is closed and brown tape wrapped around it.
35) The polling official that filled in all the numbers is now double checking them together with another colleague. They agree after going through it that everything seems correct.
36) The Chairman had a binder where she wrote down how many local and international observers were present. She also needs to write this down at another place if the observers want to have copies of the ballot account form. All polling officials have to sign all the balance sheets that are distributed.
37) The poster sized ballot account form on the wall is now filled in by the Chairman with the last numbers after adding and subtracting votes. The Chairman reads all the numbers out loud. The numbers are read with double numbers. Forexample, the number 2033 is read twenty, thirty-three.
38) The large box containing the votes is on the table all this time. The voter registers are on top of the box together with a binder with some information on for example how many observers there were present during vote counting etc. The doors have been closed but not locked all the time. Only those that were present at the pollingstation before closing and registerd their presence are allowed to be there, other people not allowed in after the voting hours have been proclaimed closed.
39) Every polling official has to sign each of the ballot account form that the observers want and also the three official ones that goes to the Election Commission.
40) The Chairman then asked one of the polling officials to call for the car.
41) Those observers that asked for a copy of the balance sheet have to sign a list to confirm that they received it.
42) The Chairman numbers the three official balance sheets with 1, 2 and 3.
43) The Chairman never officially declares the vote counting process finished but by filling in all the balance sheets and signing them, the Chairman makes clear that it is over.
44) The box containing votes and the voter registers are kept on a pile on the large table. Some polling officials stays and watches the pile while some other polling official goes off to fetch jackets and private bags etc.
45) A police officer arrives. The Chairman, the vice chairman and the secretary of the polling station go with him down to the car which is parked outside the polling station. The policeman carried the box with votes and the Chairman was carrying the voter registers and the balance sheet. Some polling stations are not able to find a free police officer that can assist, so they simply walk to the regional electoral office.
46) The box and registers were placed in the car and all four went in the car to the regional election commission where they were supposed to hand in their box, the registers and the balance sheets.
47) Most transports were with a police car but some were with private or borrowed cars. Public services such as the police and other guards have to assist in the electoral process.
48) At the regional electoral office the polling officials from each different polling station were lined up outside the office. There was a security guard in the room and local as well as international observers are allowed to be present. The police officer that accompanied the polling official from this particular polling station has left and is on his way to the next polling stations.
49) When it is the turn of the polling officials from our polling station the balance sheets are gone through. This is the first step. If they are not correctly filled in and stamped and signed they are sent back to correct them. In our case all seemd correct and our Chairman could hand in the box with votes and the voter registers.
50) The box is carried away to a separat archive room to be gone through later on.
51) The balance sheets and other documents are carried up to a computer room where all the numbers are plugged in to the computer. After it has been written they print it out for the Chairman to sign.
