In the elections to the Moscow City Duma, the turnout was 40.32% of voters. Photo: Moscow City News Agency
CAREFUL PREPARATION
281 candidates, 45 districts, 3 days of voting: with these initial data, the capital began the elections of deputies to the Moscow City Duma and municipal deputies in New Moscow and Kurkino district.
Voting was possible in all possible ways: at the polling station at the place of registration using paper ballots, anywhere in the city using an electronic voting terminal (TEG) and online from any device. Moreover, while the PECs operated from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., online voting did not stop for a minute from 8:00 a.m. on September 6 until 8:00 p.m. on the 8th.
They prepared for the X-days long and carefully. We trained public observers (more than 12 thousand people who monitored the order around the clock, in person and through video cameras, at all 1,440 polling stations during the three days of voting), notified city residents (when, who and how can be elected) and conducted a test of electronic voting; at the same time, they again attracted people’s attention to the elections and tested the functioning of the system under stress factors.
The result exceeded all expectations:
– The turnout was 40.32%, twice as high as in the previous elections to the Moscow City Duma in 2019. About one and a half million Muscovites took part in the elections for the first time. This is extremely important. We are introducing many innovations that are proving their effectiveness,” said Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
MOSCOW – DIGITALIZATION STANDARD
Over the course of three days, 3.1 million people took part in the elections. Of these, 142,000 (4.5% of the total) voted on paper. The rest (95.5%) voted where it was most convenient for them, using devices and computers, or using electronic voting terminals at polling stations.
– Moscow is a leader in political digitalization. Here, for the first time, citizens have had the opportunity to vote remotely. Electronic voting is becoming the norm: it is convenient, simple and safe,” said Valery Fedorov, director of VTsIOM.
The voting process was monitored not only by members of the electoral commissions or public observers, but also by party representatives (who noted that they had no questions about the voting process). In addition, anyone could access the Observer website, which displayed data on the progress of the voting in real time. There, one could see, by hour, when peak loads occurred in the system, and those who wanted to check whether there had been interference in the program could download a file that actually showed a “snapshot” of the databases of all processes in the system. The experts also identified more than 300 DDoS attacks. Each of them was successfully repelled and did not affect the voting process.
According to the Moscow Public Election Monitoring Office, about a hundred requests were received during the entire election period, but they were mainly about the possibility of voting with paper ballots – it turned out that not all Muscovites heard that a request for this was necessary to notify the type of voting in advance. But all issues were quickly resolved and no serious problems arose. Everyone who wanted to vote did so.
Voting was possible via an electronic terminal at any convenient location in the city. Photo: Moscow City News Agency
PARTICIPATION IN HISTORY
Election statistics indicate that Muscovites are extremely interested in the elections.
“I always vote at polling stations and I always do it with great pleasure,” said Nadezhda Babkina, People’s Artist of Russia and director of the Moscow State Academic Theatre “Russian Song”. – I think that these events are important for all people, especially for those who live in Moscow. Anyone who takes part in an election campaign is taking part in history.
There was a lot to read and analyse this year: in each district there were several candidates, both from parties and self-proclaimed candidates.
“This year’s elections were very competitive,” confirmed Sergei Sobyanin. – If in 2019 there were 225 candidates competing for 45 mandates, in 2024 there will be 281 candidates.
And electronic voting once again helped the residents of the capital in this regard.
– When I posted a post on social media about how I voted, I saw a lot of comments below, including from people of the silver age. And they wrote that they liked this voting format, because they could vote even in the countryside. It is also important that electronic voting gives you the opportunity to be alone, think carefully and make the right decision,” said Svetlana Akulova, general director of the Moscow Zoo.
According to preliminary data, candidates from United Russia won in 38 of the capital’s 45 districts, representatives of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation won in three more districts, deputies from the Just Russia – For Truth and New People parties won one district each, and their own candidates won in two more districts.
“I would like to thank Muscovites for their active participation in the elections, which play an important role for our city,” said Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
AND AT THIS MOMENT
An important incentive for participation in the elections was the “#ChooseTogether2024 – Moscow” campaign of the “Million Prizes” program. Among those who voted electronically (online or via TEG), 1,000, 3,000 and 5,000 points were raffled off (1 point = 1 ruble). Guaranteed prizes were also offered to first-time voters, as well as to Muscovites over 60 years old, provided they did not win anything in the main draw. In total, 1.7 million people became winners of the promotion. They can spend their points on purchases in shops, pay bills in restaurants, buy tickets to theaters and museums, top up their Troika card, and also on charity. During the event, residents of the capital have already donated 32 million “prize” rubles to charitable foundations.
In addition, during the elections, an additional draw was held among those who voted online. As a result, 15,000 people received discounts of 15,000 rubles each on the purchase of goods from the promotion partners in the categories “Sports”, “Household Appliances” and “Travel and Culture”.
The results of the draw have already been published on the “#Choose-Together2024 – Moscow” campaign page. Winners will also receive unique codes via SMS, which must be activated by September 30, and reward points must be spent by December 15, 2024.
