Electoral qualifications and restrictions on passive suffrage in elections in Russia

Abstract

The subject of the article is electoral qualifications and voting restrictions in the Russian Federation legislation.The purpose of the article is to determine the permissible boundaries of electoral restrictions, to define the grounds for acknowledgment of such qualifications (restrictions) as unconstitutional (excessive, disproportionate, breaching the principle of legal equality) as well asto formulate legal argumentsthat will contribute to advancing electoral qualification system in Russia.The authors’ hypothesis is as follows: in comparison with electoral qualifications that are already enshrined in the Constitution, the rise in the number of new electoral qualifications fails to comply with the Constitution’s provisions and is inconsistent with the Russian Federation’s international commitments. The authors meticulously analyse the process of eligibility imposition, draws the line between “electoral qualifications” and “restrictions” in electoral right and compares the Russian system of electoral qualifications (restrictions) with the system of electoral restrictions and limitations in foreign countries.The main results and the scope of application. The analysis of the given issues has shown that electoral qualifications are specific requirements (conditions). Thus if a state is a democratic one and acts in compliance with the electoral requirements(conditions), the citizens of such state are eligible to run for public office. At the same time electoral restrictions (filters) can be considered as supplementary actions that the citizens have to complete in order to be registered as candidates for the elections. Such actions also diminish the legal chances of the citizens to take part in ongoing elections. The authors prove that guided by political rather than legal criteria, Russian law-makers are prone to impose new eligibility restrictions that in turn impede the process of constitutional values balance search.A significant number of electoral qualifications is inconsistent with the purposes which legislators pursue imposing new restrictions and limitations on citizens’ rights as well as with fundamental principles of possible restrictions on citizens’ rights set forth by numerous ECHR’s decisions (proportionality, necessity in democratic society, legitimate goal and sufficient reasons). Since dozens of electoral qualifications exist in the Russian legislation, millions of Russian citizens are deprived of their right to vote. Electoral qualifications do not satisfy the RF Constitution requirements stated in articles 17, 18, 19, 32, 54 as well as the principles of universalsuffrage (universality, equal suffrage and free elections).The authors conclude that the legal regulation of voting right restrictions such as a signature threshold and a municipal filter are to be altered radically. In the short term, the signature threshold preservation is quite feasible provided a substantial decrease in the number of signatures and the simplification of the signature collection procedure. In reference to the municipal filter, undoubtedly, it should be repealed in the near future since there are no opportunities to exclude an administrative pressure on municipal councils’ deputies with the purpose to force them to vote for “suitable” candidatesfor federal and regional authorities.