The delayed Russian referendum on constitutional reform goes ahead this week as the country emerges from many of the quarantine measures imposed over the past few months to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The referendum is being held to amend the Russian constitution, and was unveiled in January. The proposed changes most notably mean that President Putin can legally remain in power until 2036 by making him eligible to stand in a further two Presidential elections, should he wish to do so.
Holding a referendum for these changes is not required by law. Such amendments can and have now been authorised by Russia’s regional legislative assemblies. However, the referendum is seen as a show of public legitimacy for these changes. As such, it is important for the authorities that the turnout is seen to be suitably high. Divided opposition movements have been in debate as to whether or not the vote should be boycotted. Meanwhile, the move towards online voting has been presented by the authorities as a move to protect public safety during the Covid-19 pandemic but it also represents an opportunity for the Kremlin to encourage higher voter turnout.
The online voting process: How will it work?
As this is Russia's first experience of online voting for a national vote, it is to be expected that the promotional material for online voting emphasises both the utility and convenience of online voting but also seeks to reassure users of the security of their ballot. For the upcoming referendum, only eligible citizens in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod region; the two regions most hard-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic in Russia, may cast their ballots online. These citizens of Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod region will go to the online polls between 25-30 of June. The population of Moscow is around 11.9 million and Nizhny Novgorod region 3.3 million, so these represent a significant number of voters. The time allowed for in person voting has also been extended to cover this time period, in order to avoid queuing at the polls, but there has been a strong push for citizens to use the online voting technology.
