Russia

Article 25, clause 4 states:

In places where voters stay temporarily (hospitals, sanatoriums…), in hard-to-reach or remote areas, …election precincts may be formed by a territorial election commission within the period established by Clause 2 of this Article, and, in exceptional cases, with the concurrence of the election commission of a subject of the Russian Federation – not later than three days before the voting day.

Article 27, clause 6 states:

Voters staying on the voting day in hospitals, sanatoriums… shall be included in the voters’ list on the basis of the passport or a document equivalent to a citizen’s passport and an absentee certificate for voting in the election of the President of the Russian Federation ("absentee certificate"). Voters at the place of temporary stay, … if they were unable to receive an absentee certificate, may be included in the voters’ list in the election precinct, where they are temporarily staying, by the decision of the given precinct election commission on the basis of a personal written application to be submitted to such precinct election commission not later than three days before the voting day…

Article 46, clause 3 states:

Informing of voters, including through the mass media, about the preparation and conduct of the election of the President of the Russian Federation, the time and procedure for the performance of electoral actions, the political parties which nominated candidates, the candidates, the groups of voters, the legislation on the election of the President of the Russian Federation shall be carried out by the election commissions. Election commissions shall also take necessary measures to inform disabled voters.

Article 66, clause 9 states:

In order to inform visually impaired voters the bulletin board shall display materials … made in large fonts and (or) with the use of the Braille alphabet.

Article 67, clause 2 states:

In order to assist visually impaired voters the corresponding election commission may decide on production of special stencils for independent filling in of a ballot, including with the use of the Braille alphabet....

Article 68, clause 5 states:

A voter unable, on the voting day, to come to the polling station of an election precinct where he is included in the voters’ list may receive an absentee certificate (in the event of a repeat voting – an absentee certificate without a detachable coupon) from the appropriate territorial election commission (45 - 25 days before the voting day) or a precinct commission (19 and less days before the voting day and also in the period from the day on which the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation announces a repeat voting up to the day preceding the day of the repeat voting) and take part in the voting in the election precinct where he will be staying on the voting day.

Article 69, clause 10 states:

 A voter who is not able to sign for receipt of a ballot or mark the ballot by himself, or take part in electronic voting may be assisted by another voter who is not a member of any election commission and is not a registered candidate....

Article 71 states:

(1) A precinct election commission shall make proper arrangements to enable voters to vote if they are entitled to be on, or are included in, the voters’ list in the given election precinct but are unable to come to the polling station for valid reasons (poor health, physical disability)…

(4) A written application (oral request) of a voter for voting outside the polling station must state the reason why the voter is unable to come to the polling station. The application shall indicate the surname, first name and patronymic of the voter and his residential address. A precinct election commission may, at its meeting, decide that the reason why a voter is unable to come to the polling station unaided is untenable and, on this basis, refuse to allow the voter to vote outside the polling station. The election commission shall immediately inform the voter of its decision to refuse to conduct such voting…

(7). Under the decision of territorial election commission the number of mobile ballot boxes for voting outside the polling station, indicated in Sub-clauses 1 and 2, Clause 7 of this Article may be increased, but not more than by 1 mobile ballot box under any of the following conditions: …

• (3) over 50 voters over 80 years old and (or) disabled voters are registered in the territory of election precinct, data on which are submitted in accordance with Clause 16 , Article 20 of the Federal Law “On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum”…

(10). If a voter due to him being the disabled or health problems cannot independently sign for the receipt of ballot or fill in the ballot, he can use the assistance of another voter in the manner established by Clause 10, Article 69 of this Federal Law…

Excerpts from the Federal Law on the Election of the President of the Russian Federation (2011)

Article 13, clause 4 states:

In places where voters stay temporarily (hospitals, sanatoriums…), in hard-to-reach or remote areas, …election precincts may be formed by a territorial election commission within the period established by Clause 2 of this Article, and, in exceptional cases, with the concurrence of the election commission of a subject of the Russian Federation – not later than three days before the voting day.

Article 16 states:
…(6) Voters staying on the voting day in hospitals, sanatoriums… shall be included in the voters’ list on the basis of the passport or a document equivalent to a citizen’s passport and an absentee certificate for voting in the election of the President of the Russian Federation ("absentee certificate").

(7) Voters at the place of temporary stay, … if they were unable to receive an absentee certificate, may be included in the voters’ list in the election precinct, where they are temporarily staying, by the decision of the given precinct election commission on the basis of a personal written application to be submitted to such precinct election commission not later than three days before the voting day…

Article 38, clause 4 states:

In case a disabled person is nominated within the list of candidates and due to this reason cannot independently write a statement with consent to run for election, file or certify other documents prescribed by the law, this person has the right to use the assistance of other person. At this the powers of the person providing assistance in filing or certifying documents prescribed by Clause 4 of this Article shall be notarized.

Article 52, clause 1 states:

Election commissions shall carry out informing of voters, including through the mass media on preparation and conduct of the elections, the periods and procedure of the performance of electoral actions, the political parties that nominated federal lists of candidates, the candidates, and the electoral legislation of the Russian Federation. Election commissions also take necessary measures to inform disabled voters.

Article 72, clause 9 states:

In order to inform visually impaired citizens, bulletin boards shall provide materials indicated in Clauses 3, 4 and 8 of this Article in large fonts and (or) with the use of Braille alphabet. Election precincts that shall have bulletin boards with such materials are determined by the decision of the election commission of the Russian Federation.

Article 73, clause 2 states:

In order to help visually impaired voters, by the decision of corresponding election commission special stencils shall be made for independent filling in of ballots including with the use of Braille alphabet. Election precincts that have such stencils prepared are determined by the decisions of election commission of the subject of the Russian Federation.

Article 74, clause 5 states:

A voter unable, on the voting day, to come to the polling station of an election precinct where he is included in the voters’ list may receive an absentee certificate from the respective territorial election commission (in 45 - 25 days before the voting day) or the precinct commission (in 19 and less days before the voting day) and take part in the voting at the election precinct where he will be staying on the voting day.

Article 75, clause 10 states:

A voter who is not able to sign for receipt of a ballot or mark the ballot by himself or participate in electronic voting may be assisted by another person who is not a member of the election commission, a registered candidate, an attorney or an authorized representative of the political party, including an authorized representative for financial matters, an authorized representative of the regional branch of the political party for financial issues, an observer, a foreign (international) observer. Such voter shall orally inform the election commission on his intention to ask another person to assist him. In this case, surname, first name and patronymic, series and number of the passport or an equivalent identity document of the person assisting such voter shall be entered in the appropriate column (columns) of the voters’ list.

Article 77 states:

(1) The precinct election commission shall make proper arrangements to enable voters to vote if they are entitled to be, or are included in the voters’ list in the given election precinct but are unable to come to the polling station for valid reasons (poor health, physical disability). The precinct election commission shall also make voting arrangements for voters who are included in the voters’ list of the given election precinct but are kept in places of confinement of persons suspected or accused of commission of crimes. (as amended by the Federal Law of April 26, 2007, No.64-FZ) 2. Save as otherwise provided by Article 76 of this Federal Law, voting outside the polling station shall be conducted only on the voting day on the basis of a written or oral application of a voter (which may be relayed through other persons) for voting outside the polling station. Such application may be made by a voter at any time after the formation of the precinct election commission but not later than in four hours before the end of the voting time. The precinct election commission shall record all received applications in a special register and, after the end of voting, shall keep this register together with the voters’ list. Application (oral application) that was submitted later than at set time may not be granted, and a voter or a person assisted in submission of application shall be notified orally of this directly at the moment of receipt of application (oral application)…

(4) A written or oral application of a voter for voting outside the polling station must state the reason why the voter is unable to come to the polling station. The application shall contain his surname, first name and patronymic of the voter and his residential address. The precinct election commission may, at its meeting, decide that the reason why a voter is unable to come to the polling station unaided is untenable and, on this basis, refuse to allow the voter to vote outside the polling station. The election commission shall immediately inform the voter of its decision to refuse such voting…

(6) By the decision of territorial election commission, the quantity of mobile ballot boxes for voting outside the polling station stated in paragraphs 1 and 2, Clause 6 of this Article may be increased but by no more than 1 mobile ballot box in presence of any of the following conditions:… 3) over 50 voters over 80 years old and (or) disabled voters are registered in the territory of election precinct, data on which are submitted in accordance with Clause 16.1, Article 20 of the Federal Law “On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum”;…

(9) If a voter due to his disability or health condition cannot independently sign for receipt of a ballot or fill in a ballot, he may use the assistance of other voter in the manner prescribed by Clause 10, Article 75 of this Federal Law…

Excerpts from the Federal Law on the Election of Deputies of the States Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (2011)

Article 20, clause 16 states:

Data  on  the  number  of  disabled  voters,  referendum  participants  in  corresponding territory with indication of disability categories shall be submitted as of January 1 and July 1 each year by the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation…

Article 23, clause 10, paragraph (K) states:

provides at request of election commission of municipal formation data on the number of  disabled  voters,  referendum  participants  in  corresponding  territory  with  indication  of disability groups.

Article 33, clause 5 states:

A candidate (except candidates nominated in the list of candidates) shall personally submit documents specified in Clauses 1, 2 and 3 of this Article. The documents specified in Clauses 1, 2 and 3 of this Article may be submitted, at the request of the candidate, by other persons, if the candidate is ill, held in detention as a suspect or defendant (in this case the candidate's signature in the statement shall be notarized or certified by administration of the hospital in which the candidate is being treated or the administration of the detention place where he is held as a suspect or defendant), in other cases specified by a federal law. 5. In case of nomination of a disabled person as candidate, including in the list of candidates, who is not able to write an application with consent to stand for election in corresponding electoral district, certify signatures’ list, fill in or certify other documents stipulated by the law, this person is entitled to use help of another person. Powers of a person providing assistance with filling in or certifying documents referred to in Clauses 2 or 3 of this Article shall be notarized.

Article 45, clause 3 states:

Informing of voters, referendum participants, in particular through the mass media, on preparation and conduct of elections, referenda, the periods and procedures for the performance of electoral actions, actions relating to participation in a referendum, on election and referendum legislation of the Russian Federation, on candidates, election associations shall be carried out by commissions. Commissions also take reasonable measures to inform disabled voters, referendum participants.

Article 61, clause 7 states:

In order to inform voters, referendum participants that are visually impaired, the notice-board shall have materials referred to in precincts, referendum precincts which notice-boards shall have such materials... printed in large fonts and (or) with the use of Braille alphabet....

Article 62, clause 6 states:

Based on a written application of a voter indicating the reasons why the voter needs an absentee certificate the election commission shall issue an absentee certificate either to the voter personally or to his representative provided with a notarized power of attorney. A power of attorney may also be certified by the administration of a hospital (if a voter is undergoing medical treatment at this hospital), by the administration of an institution where persons suspected or accused of commission of a crime are held in custody (if a voter is held in this institution as a person suspected or accused of commission of a crime).

Article 63, paragraph 2 states:

In order to help visually impaired voters, referendum participants by the decision of corresponding election commission special stencils shall be made for independent filling in of ballots including with the use of Braille alphabet. Election precincts, referendum precincts that shall  have  such  stencils  prepared  are  determined  by  the  decisions  of  commission  organizing elections,  referendum,  and  at  election  to  federal  bodies  of  state  power  –  by  the  decision  of election commission of the subject of the Russian Federation.

Article 64, clause 10 states:

A voter, referendum participant who is not able to sign for receipt of a ballot or mark a ballot by himself or take part in electronic voting may be assisted by another voter, referendum participant who is not a member of the commission, or a registered candidate, or an authorized representative or attorney of an election association, registered candidate, a referendum initiative group, or an observer. In this case, a voter, referendum participant shall orally inform commission of his intention to ask for assistance in marking the ballot, taking part in electronic voting. The surname, first name and patronymic, series and number of the passport or a document equivalent to citizen’s passport of the person assisting such voter, referendum participant shall be indicated in the appropriate box (boxes) of the list of voters, referendum participants.

Article 66 states:

1. Precinct commission shall make proper arrangements to enable voters, referendum participants to vote if they are included in the list of voters, referendum participants in the given election precinct, referendum precinct but are unable to come to the polling station for valid reasons (poor health, physical disability)…

4. A written or oral application of a voter, referendum participant for voting outside the polling station must state the reason why the voter, referendum participant is unable to come to the polling station. The application shall contain his surname, first name and patronymic of the voter, referendum participant and his residential address.

5. Written or oral applications referred to in Clause 4 of this Article may be submitted to precinct commission at any time after such precinct commission is formed but not later than in six hours before the voting ends. Written or oral application that was received later than indicated time shall not be satisfied, and voter, referendum participant, or the person that provided assistance in delivering such application shall be informed about it at the moment of receiving a written or oral application…

8. By the decision of corresponding commission stated in Clause 8 of this Article the quantity of mobile ballot boxes for voting outside the polling station stated in Paragraphs “a” and “b”, Clause 8 of this Article may be increased but by no more than 1 mobile ballot box in presence of any of the following conditions: …3) over 50 voters over 80 years old and (or) disabled voters, referendum participants are registered in accordance with Clause 10, Article 16 of this Federal Law in the territory of election precinct, referendum precinct data on which are submitted in accordance with Clause 16 1 , Article 20 of this Federal Law; …

11. If a voter, referendum participant due to his disability or health condition cannot independently sign for receipt of a ballot or fill in a ballot, he may use the assistance of other voter, referendum participant…

Excerpts from Federal Law on Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum (2011)