The Russian State Duma approved a significant law amendment strengthening candidates' rights in election processes. The adopted regulation grants registration rights to candidates and parties who missed the document submission deadline due to unlawful rejection decisions by election commissions.
According to the law, if a decision by an election commission to refuse approval of a candidate list is overturned by a higher commission or court, the commission organizing the election will be required to reconsider the matter within one day at the latest after that decision enters into force.
In this case, the documents required for registration may be submitted even after the deadline has passed. However, the document submission must be made within five days at the latest after the list is re-approved, and at least fifteen days before the voting day. The election commission will be obliged to issue its registration or rejection decision no later than eight days before the elections.
The law amendment was prepared in line with the Russian Constitutional Court's ruling dated December 13, 2024. The Constitutional Court had ruled that previous regulations eliminated the possibility for candidates who missed the document submission deadline to register, even if the commission's initial rejection decision was later found unlawful.
The law will enter into force on the day it is published in the official gazette and will apply to all elections announced after that date.