Mateikovich, M.S., Suchilin, V.N. Election bodies in Russia: history and modern situation

Abstract: The goal of this article is to follow the evolution of the election bodies in Russia and to find the optimum legal status for their future. The elections in the Ancient Russia, at the time of formation of a centralized Russian state, at the time of the estate representative monarchy were self-organized and were rather weakly controlled by the centralized power. At the time of absolutism the elective element within the public power was weakened. At the time of the rule of Catherine the II, the election procedures gained more detail, and the election system for the city government was formed. During the reforms of the second half of the XIX century, the Russian election law was formed and the election process was guaranteed by the administrative bodies. The system of independent election commissions was formed for the elections to the Constituent Assembly in 1917. In the Soviet period the election commissions did not have any real powers, due to the lack of political competition within the state and non-alternative structure of elections. In the modern Russia the system of election commission remained and their authority gained recognition. In fact they are public bodies, but they are not included into any of the branches of the power, and they are not “election power” either. The author offers to single out the functions of organization of the election process and holding voting. The first function should be transferred to the executive branch of government as a specialized federal service. Voting should be held based on self-organization of electors within the framework of independent social bodies – district election commissions.

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